Exams will be based on new curriculum - Uneb

Schools across the county have been put on notice that this year’s national examinations will be set based on the new abridged curriculum released by the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC).

The announcement came a few days after the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) set dates for the registration of all candidates scheduled to sit for this year’s national examinations.

The Uneb executive secretary, Mr Daniel Odongo, yesterday told this publication in a telephone interview that the Board sets exams based on the prevailing curriculum.

“If the NCDC says this is the curriculum being taught in schools, we also set the national exams based on that. As a result, we helped the NCDC and uploaded the abridged curriculum on the portal of all schools with the Uneb centre. So all schools should be able to access these not to be left out,” Mr Odongo said.

In a separate interview, the State minister for Higher Education, Mr John Chrysostom Muyingo, yesterday said the ministry is following the abridged curriculum and reaffirmed that the 2022 exams will be set based on it.

He also reiterated that it has been uploaded on both Uneb and NCDC websites where schools should access it.

The revelation comes amid complaints by some schools, especially those upcountry, that they have not been able to download the abridged curriculum since the majority do not have computers and smart phones while others do not have Internet.

This means that these particular schools are using the old curriculum to teach their learners for the last four weeks since the reopening of schools.

The chairperson of National Private Education Institutions Association, Mr Hasadu Kirabira, said there is a dilemma between schools in urban areas with the abridged curriculum and those in rural areas using the old detailed one.

“The ministry of Education should immediately intervene and make clear communication to all schools through the district education officers about the right curriculum Uneb is going to use to set exams,” Mr Hasadu said.

“There are some schools who have not seen the abridged curriculum and there are no attempts by the ministry to distribute hard copies to these schools. Unless this is done, we shall see learners in the schools using old curriculum fail,” Mr Hasadu added.

Mr Paul Etiang, the chairperson of the Private Teachers Association, said most teachers in rural areas are not conversant  with the current technology hence have failed to access soft copies of the abridged curriculum online.

“The education officers need to reach out to individual heads of school across the country and ensure that the teachers have the right curriculum; otherwise we are finished,” he added.

Way forward
 However, Mr Muyingo said schools that have not been able to access these materials online are going to be given hard copies as soon as possible.

“A week ago, the executive director of the NCDC told me that she had received some money for printing some text books. These copies will reach schools that have failed to access the copies online. There is no need to panic,” Mr Muyingo said.

We could not get a comment from the executive director of NCDC, Dr Grace Baguma, since she was reportedly in the meeting by press time.