Mengo pokes holes in new curriculum

Buganda Kingdom has said the country’s strong education system and prosperity lies in the inclusion of local languages, agriculture and Information Communication Technology (ICT) as compulsory subjects in the new curriculum.

Last Wednesday, the Katikkiro (prime minister), Mr Charles Peter Mayiga, wrote to the minister of Education, Ms Janet Museveni, to express the kingdom’s concerns and said Buganda was open to further dialogue if the government wants more clarity and details on the new curriculum.

“We have had time to read the new curriculum and there are four areas of concern that we think need to be revisited in order to achieve the goals and objectives for which the new curriculum was introduced,” Mr Mayiga wrote.

He said Luganda and other local languages are important tools to promote a student’s comprehension as well promote culture and enhance capacity of expression. “Developed nations of the world promote native languages irrespective of the smallness of the size that use them,” Mr Mayiga wrote, arguing that to achieve home based development, local languages, must be compulsory in schools.

He also said ICT should be compulsory for all students up to at least Senior Four. “It is important to prepare the young generation for the future of a technologically driven economy,” Mr Mayiga said.

Mr Mayiga also asked that history is an important subject and should not be an elective subject.
“The mistakes and pitfalls as well as commendable episodes of the past become learning curves for the citizens,” he wrote.

Views on agriculture
He also called for agriculture to be a compulsory subject in lower secondary education. “Uganda is an agricultural country where more than 70 per cent of its population derives their substance from it; contributes greatly to the country’s gap. If the subject is left to only those who wish to do it, it may jeopardise the future of the country with regard to the attainment of Uganda’s Vision 2040,” he said.

The Ministry of Education public relations officer, Mr Patrick Muinda, welcomed kingdom’s views.
“These are very interesting views but I will check whether we received them when I return to office,” Mr Muinda said.

[email protected]