We’ve not scrapped Entrepreneurship from TVET curriculum, says govt

Government has not scrapped Entrepreneurship from the curriculum of the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions as claimed, the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) has said.

Speaking to Monitor, NCDC deputy director for research and consultancy Dr Richard Irumba said the “claims were merely personal opinions by some officials.”

“When reviewing these curricula, we carry out consultations where different stakeholders bring in their views and this is what happened when we were reviewing the TVET curriculum and some people including government officials claimed that the subject had been scrapped which is not true,” he said during the launch of the GreenVET4U project at the Makerere University Business School (MUBS) on march 22.

His remarks come a few months after officials from the Education ministry’s TVET department announced that government was due to scrap eight subjects from the TVET curriculum. The subjects include Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, English, Entrepreneurship, History, and Business studies.

Officials said the decision was part of implementation of the 2019 TVET policy which introduced the Competence Based TVET Curriculum, making the teachers of the affected subjects redundant.

“Government is aware of the available mismatch of the number of graduates and the available jobs. That is why we value the role played by entrepreneurship in imparting skills among youths,” Irumba held.

Meanwhile, the Shs1.6b GreenVET4U project, co-funded by the European Union, is being implemented by five partners including MUBS and Great Lakes Safaris from Uganda, Aspire from Germany, Spain-based Nfodef and CSF – Italy.

It aims at equipping Ugandan vocational education and training (VET) providers and employers to design and deliver innovative curricula in skills for green jobs and will train 50 youths and 10 trainers from the two Ugandan organisations in waste management and eco-tourism in the three years.

Acting MUBS Principal Prof Moses Muhwezi said “the program will help train youths in engaging in entrepreneurship activities as well as protecting the environment.”

“…if we don't take care of the planet and things go wrong we shall have nowhere to run but suffer,” he added.

Speaking at the launch, project partners led by Jesus Boyano from Infodef said that TVET practitioners and in company trainers will test their skills during the project.

“The testing of innovative practices in green skills is to prepare learners and VET providers to become true agents of change and create inclusive environments that foster equity and equality, and that are responsive to the needs of the wider community,” he noted.