Vital role of parental involvement in Uganda’s shift to competence-based education

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OPINION

By David Wasike

As Uganda embarks on a transformative journey from a Knowledge-Based Education (KBE) system to a more dynamic Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC), an essential question arises: how can we involve parents, who themselves were products of the previous education model, in this evolving landscape?

The CBC aims to foster holistic learner development that emphasizes skills and competencies over rote memorization. However, to ensure the success of this curriculum, parents must play an active role.

Understanding the transition: CBC vs KBE

The shift from KBE to CBC introduces significant changes in educational pedagogy. KBE focused primarily on the acquisition of facts and theoretical knowledge, often leading to students who excelled in exams but lacked practical skills applicable in real-world scenarios.

In contrast, CBC prioritizes the development of critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills, which are increasingly valued in today’s fast-paced and ever-changing job market. While the advantages of CBC are clear, the challenge lies in bridging the knowledge gap between current educational methodologies and the experiences of many parents, who navigated their own education under KBE.

The knowledge-based education legacy

For decades, Uganda’s education system was characterized by a traditional approach, where success was often measured by the ability to memorize and reproduce information. Parents who experienced this system tend to have a fixed conception of what learning entails—recognizing a child’s performance through grades rather than by their ability to apply knowledge. This ingrained belief poses a challenge to implementing CBC, as many parents may remain skeptical about its effectiveness.

Why parental involvement is crucial

Parental involvement has been linked to improved academic achievement, enhanced student motivation, and greater emotional wellbeing. As stakeholders in their children’s education, parents have the potential to reinforce the values of CBC at home, fostering a conducive environment for skill development.

Promoting Understanding of CBC: To foster engagement, it’s crucial to educate parents about CBC, delineating its differences from KBE and illustrating its benefits. Workshops, community meetings, and informational materials can empower parents to understand how CBC encourages children to take ownership of their learning.

Encouraging Skill Development at Home: With skills-based learning at its core, CBC encourages exploration and application. Educational activities, such as problem-solving exercises and creative projects, can be conducted at home, aligning with the competencies taught in schools.

Building a Supportive Community: Schools and communities should strive to create platforms for parents to express concerns, ask questions, and share experiences. By fostering a community that values CBC, parents can more readily adapt their beliefs to support their children in this new educational curriculum.

Challenges to overcome

Despite the promising potential of parental involvement, significant barriers must be acknowledged. A lack of awareness and understanding of CBC, access to resources, and socioeconomic factors can hinder parents from participating actively in their child’s education.

Misinformation: Some parents may misconstrue the purpose and effectiveness of CBC, viewing it as another educational fad rather than a necessary evolution.

Resource disparities: In rural areas, parents may lack access to information on CBC or educational resources to assist their children. This disparity can create obstacles for effective involvement.

Socioeconomic factors: Economic pressures may limit the time and energy parents can devote to supporting their children’s education.

Strategies for effective onboarding

To ensure parents are on board with CBC, a multipronged approach is necessary:

Workshops and training: Schools should organize workshops to explain the fundamentals of CBC, allowing parents to interact with teachers and curriculum developers.

Regular communication: Schools must maintain open lines of communication, providing updates on curriculum changes and success stories to build trust in the educational process.

Partnerships with local organizations: Collaborating with NGOs and community groups can enhance outreach efforts, ensuring that parents from all backgrounds can benefit from support and resources related to CBC.

Utilizing technology: Digital platforms can serve as an effective medium for disseminating information, fostering discussions, and hosting virtual workshops, catering to parents with varying degrees of access to technology.

Real-life success stories

Several pilot schools implementing CBC have seen remarkable success, highlighting the importance of parental involvement. In one rural community in northern Uganda, parents actively participated in school activities and workshops, leading to a noticeable improvement in students’ engagement and performance.

Their involvement emphasized skills such as teamwork and communication, which had become staples in their children’s learning experience. Similarly, a school in Kampala saw parents embracing CBC principles by forming study groups at home. These groups not only improved academic performance but also fostered community bonds among parents.

The road ahead: building a collaborative future

As Uganda navigates this essential shift in its education system, it is crucial for parents to shed the remnants of KBE’s legacy and embrace a forward-thinking mindset that aligns with CBC’s objectives. The collaboration between schools and families is pivotal in fostering a culture of competence and creativity that will benefit future generations.

As the CBC continues to unfold in Uganda, let us prioritize parental involvement as a cornerstone of this transformation. It is only through collective engagement that we can ensure our children are equipped with the skills and competencies they need to thrive in an increasingly complex world, embracing the transformation not just as parents but as partners in their children's educational journey.

Conclusion: embracing change together

In conclusion, the success of CBC in Uganda will depend on how well we can integrate parents into this educational paradigm shift. By providing support, information, and a platform for engagement, we can collectively navigate the transition from Knowledge-Based Education to a more vibrant and relevant Competence-Based Curriculum. The future of education lies not just in classrooms—it's a shared journey that begins at home.

The writer is a lecturer Faculty of Business and Management (FBM), International University of East Africa (IUEA), PhD Fellow Uganda Martyrs University Kampala (UMU). Strategy & Institutional Development (SID) Consultant, Foundation Leads Limited (FLL)-Kampala, Uganda