NCDC to screen publishers

By Prossy Nandudu

THE National Curriculum Development Center (NCDC) is to screen publishers of books with the revised school syllabus. This was revealed by the head of pre-primary and primary department, NCDC, Gabriel Obbo Katandi.

He was on Monday addressing publishers in a consultative meeting, aimed at equipping the publishers with skills of interpreting the curriculum and syllabuses at the NCDC offices, Kyambogo.

Katandi explained that in order to get quality education, there was need to take the publishers through the revised curriculum and syllabuses and what is required of them.

In the revised Syllabuses of Primary five, six and seven have been revised with some subjects like the circulatory system and Respiratory system has been moved from Primary five to Six while EAC integration is being promoted in Primary seven.

“In order to get the right material, some body needs correct interpretation therefore curriculum specialists were taking them through the subjects so that they can interepreret correctly, to help them achieve the purpose of the revised curriculum by  writing suitable materials for learning,” Katandi explained.

The new curriculum also emphasizes continuous assessments and language competences which has not been the case in the old curriculum.

“Continuous assessment has not been emphasized in the old curriculum and language competences because publishers are not teachers, they might turn their writing into more complicated language that doesn’t suit the learners” Katandi added.

Publishers welcomed the consultative meeting saying that they improve the working relationship between them and NCDC.Previoulsy; they were working directly with the ministry of education.

Publishers welcomed the move by NCDC to meet the screen publishers before working on the books.

“information like this has never been given to publishers before bidding comes out, and a bid comes out as a shock, there is a lot of stampede and we are given limited time, but now we have been given information about what we is expected of us, and how to prepare the materials,” said Tom Tibijuka from Fountain Publishers

Festus Festo Matovu from Kamalu publishers said that the meeting would help publishers publish books that conform to the syllabus and called NCDC to organize similar meetings with the editorial teams.

“The consultation has also helped us know that we have to integrate all subjects, and the language level has to be on the same pace,” Matovu added.