Govt unveils details of new abridged curriculum

The government yesterday released details of the new post Covid-19 curriculum, seeking to help learners cope under the automatic promotion arrangement.

Unveiling the particulars in a communication from the Ministry of Education to schools countrywide, the compressed curriculum will benefit all primary and secondary school classes, with the exception of Primary One, Senior One and Senior Five, who will focus their learning on the standard curriculum.

The Education minister, Ms Janet Museveni, clarified that the new curriculum is a modification of the old one, aimed at recovering the lost learning time with minimum learning loss.

“The Covid-19 pandemic caused a disruption in our education system and made learners miss schooling for almost 18 months. This has created a need to re-think what and how learners will learn when schools reopen,” Ms Museveni said.

She added that under the abridged curriculum is an assortment of priority learning competences and concepts, along with psychosocial support, which should be the focus of instruction in this school year to achieve learning recovery.

Ms Museveni urged all stakeholders to support the implementation of the curriculum to mitigate the effects of Covid-19.

The director of National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), Dr Grace Baguma, said they take full responsibility for any shortcoming that might be identified in the circular and welcome proposals to address any gaps.

The curriculum has either shifted the content students did not learn in the previous class to the next or merged similar contents.

For instance, in the Primary Seven abridged curriculum, under sets concepts, fractions that were supposed to be taught in Primary Six, have been merged with those of Primary Seven as well as Data handling (statistics and pie-charts).

Meanwhile, the topic on currencies has been shifted from Primary Six to Primary Seven as well as Time topics, which cover speed, distance and time.

NCDC explains that some data has been shifted or merged because learners missed studying it while in Primary Six.

Abridged curriculum for primary schools

Classes and subjects
Primary five
English Term One Critical changes
Topic 1: Vehicle Repair and Maintenance
Sub 1A: Parts of a Vehicle
Topic 2: Print Media
Grammar
Tenses (Past, simple, future- dropped)
Topic 3: Travelling
Grammar
Past continuous, past simple and language structures dropped
Topic7: Peace and Security;
Grammar has been dropped
English Term Two
Topic 4: Letter writing;
Topic5: Communication
Subtopic 5A: The Post Office.
Subtopic5B: The Telephone;     
Subtopic 5C: The Internet.
English Term Three
Topic6: Culture.
Sub-topic 6A: Nationality;
Topic7: Peace and security.
Topic 8: Services (Banks)
Mathematics Term One
Topic 1:  Set Concepts
Fractions
Lines, Angles and Geometric Figure
Integers: Shifted from 3rd term to 2nd  term before graphs.
Data handling: Included in content for P.5
Time: P4.content merged with that of P.5
Money: To be covered after operations on whole numbers 
Length, Mass and Capacity: P4 content integrated into that of P.5
Topic2: Whole numbers.
Topic3: Operations on whole numbers.
Topic4: Money
Topic5: Patterns and sequences;
Mathematics Term Two
Topic 6 :  Periods-
Topic7: Lines Angles and Geometric figure.
Topic 8: Integers.
Topic: Data handling
Topic 10: Time;
Mathematics Term Three
Topic 11: Length, Mass and Capacity.
Topic: Algebra
Integrated Science
(Not specified what will be covered in Term 1,2,3)  
Topic1:  Occupations in our community:
Topic 2: Keeping poultry and bees-
Topic3: Keeping rabbits.
Topic4: Keeping Goats
Topic 5: Measurements
Topic 6 theme games : Basic skills in rounders
Topic 6 theme Matter and energy:  Heat and energy
Topic 7: Bacteria and Fungi
Topic8: Soil
Topic 9:Types of changes
Topic 10: Primary Health Care
Topic 10: Food and Nutrition
Topic 12: Accidents, Poisoning and First Aid
Topic 13: Disease vectors , Communicable diseases, Worm infestation
Topic 14: Immunisation
Topic 15; The Teeth and Digestive System.
Social Studies- Term One
Topic 1: Location of Uganda  
Topic2: Physical features in Uganda.
Topic 3: Climate of Uganda.
Topic 4: Vegetation of Uganda.    
Social Studies Term Two
Topic 1: Natural Resources in Uganda
Topic 2: The People of the Pre-Colonial.
Topic 3: Foreign Influence in Uganda.
 Topic 4: How Uganda became a Nation.
Social Studies Term Three
Topic 1: The Road to Independence
Topic 3: The Government of Uganda
Topic4: Population, Size, and distribution.
 Christian Religious Education Term One
God’s people and the law.
 Following Jesus as a leader.
  Faith-
Term Two
Christianity and Islam.
The Christian Community.
 Witness;
 Term Three
· Discipleship and its reward;
 Relationship with God
Islamic Religious Education
Critical changes
Topic: 1 A congregational prayer P4 term 2 reviewed 

Topic; Fasting
Recites Surat Al-Kauthar
Topic; Prophets Migration from Mecca to Medina.
TOPICS
Topic 1: Surat Zilzalah’
Topic 2: Settlement of debts;
Topic 3: Resurrection and Judgement
Topic 4: Fasting.
Topic5: Miraj
 Topic 6: Surat Al-Kauthar (108) ;
 Topic 6: Good Neighbourliness.
 Other topics include;
Topic 7: Paradise and Hell
Topic 8: Tarawiih and Idd Prayers
Topic 9; Last days of Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H)
Topic 10: Surat Al-Alaq (96)
Topic 11: Sin
Topic 12: Zakat
 Topic 13: Miracles of Prophet Muhammad(P.B.U.H)
PRIMARY FOUR
English Term One
Topic 1: Animals in Our sub-county/ Division.
Topic 2:   Services as a Business on our Sub-County/Division;
Topic3: Describing People and Objects.
Topic 4: Giving directions:
English Term Two
 Topic3: What I like and How I feel;
Topic 4: Behaviour;
Sub-topic B. Bad Behaviour:
 Topic 5: Shopping (Buying and Selling);
Topic 6: Time;.
Sub-topic B: Past Continuous tense;
English Term Three
  Topic 7;  Expression of the Future  
Topic 8: Democracy;
Sub-topic A: Games and Sports;
Sub-topic B: Music, Dance and Drama;
Sub-topic C: Elections
Mathematics Term One
Topic 1: Set Concepts;.
Topic 2: Whole Numbers;
Topic3: Operations on Whole numbers;
Topic4: Money Matters
Mathematics Term Two
 Topic 5: Patterns and Sequences
 Topic 6: Fractions
Topic 7: Lines, Angles and Geometric Figures
Topic 8: Data handling; 
Mathematics Term Three.
Topic 9: Time
Topic 10: Length, Mass and Capacity
Topic 11: Algebra
Integrated Science
 The topics to be covered in first term include the following
 Topic 1:  The World of living things
Topic 2: Animal  Life
Topic 3: Basic Technology in our County, Division
Topic 4: Energy in our Sub-county/Division
Topic 5: Weather in our Sub-county/ Division
Topic6: Managing resources
Topic 2.1: The major Body Organs
Topic 8: The teeth
Topic 9: Personal Hygiene
Topic 10; Our Food
Science Term Two
Topic 11: Sanitation
 Science Term Three
Topic 12: Communicable intestinal disease, worms infestation
Topic 13: Vectors and Diseases
Topic 14: Accidents , Poisoning and first aid
Topic 15: Growing Groups
Topic 16: Keeping Rabbits
Social Studies Term One
Peace and security
Child rights and obligations
Culture and Gender
Livelihood
Location of our district Physical features in our district
 Social Studies Term Two
Vegetation in our district
People in our district
Social Studies Term Three
Leaders in our district
Christian Religious Education.
C.R.E Term One
Topic 1: Traditions
Topic 2: Messengers of God
Topic 3: God’s continuing love for his people
Topic4:God’s people and the law
C.R.E Term Two
 Topic 1: Following Jesus as a leader
Topic 2: Jesus Christ Our Saviour
Topic 3:  The worshiping community
Topic 4: Christian Community
C.R.E Term Three
Topic 1: Jesus our example in service
Topic 2: Making our decisions as Christians
 Topic 3: Peace
Islamic Religious Education
(No specifics for term 1,2,3) 
Surat Al-ASR
Prophet/ Messenger
 Dress for Prayer
Impurities
Early Converts in Islam
 Surat Al- Humaza
The 25 prophets
Imaan and forgiveness
Congregational Prayer
The night journey
Surat Al-Falaq
The unique nature of Muhammad P.B.H
Conduct after Swalat
 Dress and cleanliness

Abridged curriculum for Primary
PRIMARY SEVEN
Mathematics: Term One 
Topic 1: Set concepts
Topic 2: Whole numbers
Topic 3: Operation on whole numbers
Topic 4: Patterns and sequences
Term Two  
Topic 5: Fractions
Topic 6: Integers
Topic 7: Data Handling
Topic 8: Money
Topic 9: Lines, Angles and Geometric Figures
Topic 10: Time
Term Three
English retained
Term one
Topic 1: School holidays and activities
Topic 2: Formal letter writing
Topic 3: Examinations
Term two
Topic 4: Electronic media
Topic 5A : Rights, responsibilities and freedom
Sub-Topic 5B : Animal needs
Term three.
Topic 6A : Environmental protection
Sub-topic 6 B:Ways of protecting the environment
Topic 7 : Ceremonies
Sub-Topic 7 A:  Marriage
Sub-Topic 7 B: Funeral
English dropped
Letter writing
Electronic media if 1 and 2 conditional
Integrated science
Term one
Topic 1:  Sanitation 
Topic 2 : Accidents and first aid
Topic 3 : Science at home and in our community
Topic 4 : Muscular and skeletal system
Topic 5: Respiratory system
Topic 6: Reproductive systems
Term two
Topic 7: The excretory system
Topic 8: Light energy
Topic 9: Electricity and magnetism
Topic 10 : Simple Machines and Friction
Topic 11: Interdependence of things in the environment
Term three
Topic 12: Resources in the environment
Topic 13 : population and health 
Social Studies
Term one
Topic 1: Location of Africa on the map of the world
Topic 2 : Physical features of Africa
Topic 3 : Climate of Africa
Topic 4: Vegetation of Africa.
Term two
Topic 1 : The people of Africa & settlement patterns
Topic 2 :  Foreign influence in Africa
Topic 3 : Nationalism and the road to independence of Africa
Topic 4 : Post independent Africa
Term Three.
 Topic 1 : Economic development in Africa
 Topic 2  : World organisations 
Primary six
English
Term one
Topic one : safety on the road
Topic 2 : Debating
Term two
Topic 3 : family relationships
Topic 4 : Occupations
Term three
Topic 5:  Hotels
Topic 6 : Using dictionary
Mathematics
Term one
Topic 1 : Set concepts
Topic 2 : Whole numbers
Topic 3 : Operations on whole numbers
Topic 4 : Patterns and sequences 
Term Two
Topic 5:  Fractions 
Topic 6 : Data handling
Topic 7 : Money
Topic 8: Time
Term three
Topic 9 : Length, mass and capacity
Topic 10 : Lines, Angles and geometric figures
Topic 11: Integers
Topic 12 : Algebra  
Integrated Science
Term one
Topic 1 : Bacteria and Fungi
Topic 2 : Classification of animals 
Term two
Topic 3 : Classification of plants
Topic 4 : Resources in the environment
Topic 5 : Types of changes
Topic 6: Occupations in our Community: crop growing
Topic 7: keeping goats, sheep and pigs
Topic 8: Keeping cattle

Term three
Topic 9: Science at home and in our community
Topic 10: Primary health care, PHC
Topic 11: Food and nutrition 
Topic 12: Sanitation
Topic 13: Accidents and first aid
Topic 14: alcohol, smoking and drugs in society
Topic 15: The circulatory system
Topic 16: Respiratory system
Topic 17: Reproductive system
Topic 18: sound energy
Social studies
Term one
Topic 1 : The East African community
Term two
Topic 1: Natural Resources
Topic 2: Transport and communication in East Africa
Term three
Topic 1: The road to Independence in East Africa
Topic 2:Responsible living in east Africa

Abridged curriculum for secondary schools

Senior four
 Chemistry Omitted
 Laboratory preparation of hydrogen sulphide removed
 Deducing the composition of hydrogen chloride and uses of hydrogen chloride
Laboratory preparation of nitrogen and laboratory preparation of nitric acid 
 Electrochemistry (handled in physics)
Retained Chemistry
Term one
 Ionic chemistry and qualitative analysis.
 Energy changes in chemical processes
 Electrochemistry
 Reaction rates and reversible reactions
Term two
Nitrogen and its compound
Compounds
Chlorine and its compounds
Term three
Applied chemistry
 Water and hydrogen
Atomic structure
The periodic table
Ions and ionic compounds
Term two
 Atomic molecular, structure and bonding
 Acids, bases and indicators
 Salts
Term three
 The mole
 Carbon chemistry

Class and subjects
Senior two
Chemistry Omitted topics
Chemistry and society removed
Using materials deleted
 Structure of allotropes of carbon removed.
Air and water merged.
Retained Chemistry
Term one
Experimental chemistry
States and changes of states of matter
 Mixtures, elements and compounds
Term two
 Air and water
 Rocks and minerals
Acids bases and salts
Term three
The periodic table
 Carbon in the environment
 Reactivity series
Senior Three 
Chemistry Term one
Reactions of metals with oxygen
 Water and hydrogen
Atomic structure
The periodic table
Ions and ionic compounds
Term two
 Atomic molecular, structure,  bonding
 Acids, bases and indicators
 Salts
Term three
 The mole
 Carbon chemistry
 Organic chemistry

Abridged curriculum for secondary
Senior two
Biology 
Cells
Five kingdom system of living organism
Insects
Flowering plants
 Physical and chemical properties of soil.
Soil erosion and conservation
Nutrition
Nutrition in green plants
Nutrition in mammals
Transport in plants
Transport in animals
Senior three Biology  
Soil(soil erosion and conservation)
Nutrition in plants and animals
Transport in animals and plants
Respiration
Excretion and homeostasis.
Coordination in plants and animals
Locomotion in animals
Senior four Biology
Respiration
Excretion and homeostasis
Co-ordination in plants and animals
Locomotion in animals
Growth,development in plants &animals
Production in plants and animals
 Genetic and evolution
Inter-relationships