Senior five learners reminded to be committed as term one starts

3 March 2025, 11:17 am

By Ronald Ssemagonja

The along waited day has finally come for senior five learners to commence their advanced level journey in secondary education under the new curriculum. At least a total of 359,417 learners were registered to sit for Uganda certificate of education (UCE) examinations in 2024 set by Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB). This was the first cohort for the examination. Of these 177,133 representing 49.3% were males, while 182,284 representing 50.7% were females. Some 136,785 (38.1%) were beneficiaries of the Universal Secondary Education (USE) program and 222,632 (61.9%) were private. Of the total number of learners registered, 2,297 (0.6%) were unable to sit for the examinations due to various challenges.

It is against this background that National Curriculum Development Center (NCDC) came up to clarify on how all entrants to senior five will be studying because learners have been worried about how senior five curriculum would look like. Since the inception of Advanced Level (A-level) in 1954, the curriculum faced several challenges given that a learner could complete A-level and not be in position to do much, in day-to-day life.

According to the manager of the secondary department at NCDC, Siima Gilbert, the curriculum body wanted to ensure that learners find a similar curriculum model at A-level and that NCDC made no major changes in content since the old A-Level curriculum content was only reviewed to match the competency-based model. “The newly adapted A-Level curriculum is ready for use. The focus is no longer solely on the transfer of knowledge from teacher to student, but on empowering students to take control of their learning.” he said. The adapted curriculum emphasizes also a shift from learning to dynamic interaction where learners actively engage with the material, question assumptions, and learn to apply their knowledge in real-world situations.

Meanwhile, Wilson Ssaabavuma, a curriculum specialist at NCDC, says that they embarked on overhauling the A-Level curriculum, however, this was not achieved due to various challenges including funding constraints yet 2024 UCE candidates were due to progress. “We have generally given learners a hybrid of the existing curriculum so that the two years they will spend in school are smooth and more meaningful. A-Level will continue to last for two years, not five or seven as had been suggested by various stakeholders during the suggestions to the concluded overall education sector reforms.” he said.

Ssaabavuma explained that the subjects in A-Level have remained the same. However, subjects like performing arts, nutrition and food technology, art and design, have not been brought at A-level. Learners are to study the same but modified content as in the old curriculum in subjects such as music, food and nutrition, technical drawing and fine art. With a reduction of topics at A-level in subjects, he warned about redundancy of teachers; they are now expected to teach two subjects except those of double main contents. Subjects like History with six papers and Geography with three papers all taught by different teachers yet one teacher can afford to teach all the papers.

A deputy headteacher who preferred his name not to be mentioned, said that they are happy and grateful for the new curriculum at A-Level because it enables learners to be creative and have the capacity to at least start something valuable if he or she is unable to proceed to the next level. However, he appeals to government to provide necessary requirements like textbooks to all schools because some of them get challenges in getting content online due to various obvious reasons like network connection, problem in seeing etc. “My advise to our students is that they be committed, this curriculum is okay. But you have to concentrate and remain focused. No need to worry.” He said. It should be stated that there might be slight changes in the new curriculum or no changes. The new curriculum is to accommodate learners who sat senior five under the old curriculum, learners who sat senior four in the new curriculum and learners who were advised to repeat senior five due to poor performance. Term one will end on 2nd May 2025.