Schools stuck as govt delays to distribute S3 textbooks

Two months into the school’s first academic term, some secondary schools have not yet received instructional materials that are crucial in the new lower secondary curriculum, the Daily Monitor has established.
A snap survey of schools across the country reveals that some teachers are still using the old syllabus for Senior Three class.
The lower secondary curriculum was launched in January 2020 despite resistance from parliamentarians and other stakeholders. They argued that the government was still ill-prepared to implement the curriculum as it lacked the required learning materials and staff. The advent of Covid-19 partly affected the implementation of the curriculum, forcing learners to stay away from school for close to two years.
Mr Wilson Byamukama, the head teacher of Ntungamo High School, says the schools’ lack of a unified direction has hampered the proper implementation of the curriculum.
“Teams of the Ministry [of Education] have been coming to assess the teaching and learning and several meetings have been held. We hope something will be done, but we are late,’’ he says.
Mr Godfrey Birungi, the head teacher of Mbarara Secondary School, says: “We bought a few copies for all subjects of Senior Three as we wait for the ministry to send us more books, but they are not forthcoming.”
Mr Godfrey Tumwebaze, the head teacher of Nyakayojo Secondary School, says during the Senior Five selection exercise last month, the Ministry of Education officials promised to send them textbooks, but this has not been fulfilled.
“What is happening shows that the government wasn’t ready for this curriculum, when they delay delivering materials, it curtails our plan to complete the syllabus on time,” he says.
 Mr Ham Ahimbisibwe, the head teacher of Mbarara High School, says: “For us, we procured our own new curriculum books when first term began, we did this hoping that the ministry would also send us more books, but days have become months.”
The head teacher of St Noa Mawaggali SS in Buikwe District, Mr Leonard Ssali, says parents have come in handy to procure the required study materials.
“The textbooks we received from the government were not enough. We are buying our own textbooks and students share them in groups of three. The good thing is that parents are understanding and supporting this initiative,” he says.
Under the new curriculum, a school is supposed to teach 12 subjects at Senior One and Two, of which 11 are compulsory while one is from an elective menu (optional).
Students in Senior Three and Four   will exit with a minimum of eight or a maximum of nine subjects, with seven of them compulsory.
The teachers are required to compile the learners’ achievements under the formative assessment in the four-year cycle, find an average score and submit it to the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) to contribute at least 20 percent in the final national examinations grading.
Foreign languages
The Chinese language was added to the menu of foreign languages while Kiswahili, Physical Education, and Entrepreneurship will be compulsory for all students in Senior One and Two.
Mr Vincent Mubangizi Barugahare, head teacher of Rwentobo High School, who is also the secretary for Ntungamo District Association of Secondary School Head Teachers, says: “The Uneb portal where we are supposed to send the results from S.1, S.2 and S.3 is also not yet open. We are really stuck.’’
Mr Moses Kawuma, a senior education officer in Masaka City, says there are still a myriad of challenges affecting the proper implementation of the curriculum.  He cites inadequate funding to procure equipment like computers.
“Take the example of teachers, many schools still lack Kiswahili teachers which affects students who are interested in learning the language,” he says.
Although students are supposed to do work by themselves, Mr Kawuma says some teachers are still applying old teaching methodologies.
“The new curriculum also requires learners to make group presentations, but one hour which was allocated to this exercise is not enough for every student to present what they have discussed,” he adds.
The deputy head teacher of Jinja Secondary School, Mr William Ongom Olara, says accessing instructional materials is still a challenge to his staff.
“We received only six textbooks for a few subjects yet the students are in their third year, they are about to sit for their Senior Four final exams. We are making efforts to procure our own books,’’ he says.
Government position
State Minister for Primary Education Joyce Moriku Kaducu admits that there has been some delay in the distribution of instructional materials –a problem she says will soon be addressed.
“It is true there was some delays in procurement [of  instructional materials] because some were to be printed from outside the country, but both the foreign and local suppliers are now set and distribution will commence soon, I am aware that some schools in some districts have already started receiving their consignments,’’ she said on Monday.
Mr Joshua Wafula, the director of studies for Bukooli College in Bugiri District, says many teachers are just gambling because they were not retooled to be able to implement the new curriculum.
“The curriculum could have helped to improve our education system because it is more practical compared to the old one and it will reduce unemployment in the country, but the government has not prioritised it, what we see shows that they went into something they were not ready for,” he explains.
However, the head teacher of Namasere High School, Mr Patrick Kibuuka, says the new curriculum has benefited his learners. The skills they have acquired have enabled them to venture into growing crops such as tomatoes and onions.
“They [students] have demonstrated it at school where they run demonstration gardens and some also own their gardens at home,” he says.
Mr Moses Namisi, the head teacher of Kifuyo SS and the treasurer of the Association of Secondary Head Teachers in Namayingo District, says the government should consider recruiting new teachers who are well-trained to teach the new curriculum.
“Every class has its own curriculum, failure by the government to train teachers and also send textbooks for Senior Three students is affecting the whole programme,” he says.
In Soroti City, many school administrators we spoke to say they have since received textbooks for Senior Three.
“We had already bought our own textbooks to keep us going as we waited for the government supplies,” Mr Julius Opaso, the head teacher of Teso college Aloet, says.
Mr Edward Ssebandeke, a teacher at Katikamu North High School, says they download most of the teaching materials for Senior Two and Three from the Internet, print them out and use them for teaching learners.
“We are yet to get the materials from the government,” he says.
The head teacher of Tororo Girls School, Ms Beatrice Akware, says: “We appreciate the deliveries made, but they are inadequate yet at the same time the materials are expensive.”
Mr Erisam Etyang, the head teacher of Atiri Secondary School in Tororo, says his school only received textbooks for Chemistry, English, and Entrepreneurship.
“This forced us to buy other [materials] using our own resources because we saw we were running late,” he says.
The district education officer for Tororo, Mr Albert Odoi, says most schools have received the study materials for Senior Three.
“But my office is not certain which school got what and what quantity because we are yet to go and establish facts on the ground,’’ he says.
Wanyange Senior Secondary head teacher Deborah Basekanakyo in Jinja City says her school is lucky that it consistently receives study materials.
“The government through the National Curriculum Development Centre has from time to time sent us necessary materials and this term, we received some in the third week of the first term. We are expecting more by end of the year. So, there is nothing much that can prevent our learners from progressing,’’ Ms Basekanakyo says.
She adds that the new curriculum is exciting and helps students to translate the knowledge obtained into physical products, which they sell to willing buyers.
In Kabale, the director of Kabale Brainstorm High School, Mr Erasmus Habasa, says: “Senior One and Senior Two students are well covered, but we are struggling with Senior Three.  The orientation of teachers in implementing the new curriculum is still a problem.’’
On curriculum
• Other cross-cutting issues such as climate change, patriotism, human rights, peace, gender, and HIV/Aids were also integrated into the various subjects.
• ICT is used as both an instructional tool for learning and a subject.
• Classroom teaching has been reduced to five hours a day.
• Lessons start at 8:30am and end at 2:50pm to allow a teacher-student engagement in research, project work, clubs, games, and sports.
Compiled by Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Asuman Musobya, Tausi Nakato, Denis Edema, Abubaker Kirunda, Ronald Seebi, Alex Ashaba Ismail Bategeka, Hanifah Nanyanzi Joseph Omollo, Fred Wambede, Julius Hafasha & Robert Muhereza, Philip Wafula, Perez Rumanzi, Felix Ainebyoona, Dan Wandera, Julius Byamukama, & Coslin Nakayiira