Senior One students brace for wide curriculum

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When Nicholas Sserunjogi was gearing up for S1, he did not think about the more than 10 subjects awaiting him in secondary school. Since he has older siblings, he had an idea of what lay ahead for him.

“They are many subjects, but what to do? You just have to try and balance them as best as you can,” he said.

According to the National Curriculum Development Centre’s Lower Secondary Curriculum Framework, O-Level students are expected to study at least 13 compulsory subjects and two electives. This brings the total number of subjects to 15 for S1 and S2 students. Thereafter, S3 and S4 students are expected to learn “a minimum of eight subjects and a maximum of 10 subjects, out of which 7 are compulsory.”

The science behind many subjects at O-Level

So, what is the rationale behind this heap of subjects at O-Level?

In a 2010 article by Scott Edwards, Deciphering the teenage brain, Prof. Frances Jensen of Harvard Medical School said she was interested in understanding how the teenage mind works when her sons became teenagers and embarked on that research.

“The research has shown that for teenagers, brain cells rapidly form new connections with other neurons, allowing information to move quickly and learning to accumulate.”

Dr Sabrina Kitaka, a paediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist in Kampala agrees with Prof. Jensen on the quick absorption of knowledge by teenagers.

She says, “Joining secondary school is exciting, but can be challenging, especially because of the many more subjects and different learning styles.”

She thus advises them to “take heart because the more you learn, the better your brain and the more likely you are to achieve your potential and dreams.”

She says the science behind the many subjects at O-Level lies in the brain activity in this age gap.

“Adolescents are people aged between 12 and 19 years and during this time, the brain actively prunes away unused neural connections, meaning that the skills and abilities frequently practiced will be strengthened. On the other hand, those that are not used will weaken, essentially ‘losing’ those neural pathways. This is a key aspect of brain development during teenage years, where the brain is actively refining itself based on experiences and activities,” she explains.

Dr Kitaka adds: “The brain naturally eliminates unnecessary synapses (connections between neurons) that are not frequently used, making the brain more efficient. Along with pruning, the brain also increases myelination (insulation) around frequently used neural pathways, making them faster and more effective.”

She also throws some light on the importance of engagement through activities with adolescents such as learning new skills, playing sports, engaging in social interactions and academic pursuits can actively stimulate the brain and strengthen important neural connections.

NCDC’s explanation for choice of subjects   

The NCDC curriculum framework painstakingly explains, on pages 16 and 17, why each of the 20 subjects is on the curriculum. Giving the example of English, the framework reads: “It is the official language and medium of instruction at the secondary level of education. It is the language which learners use to learn all the other subjects on the curriculum. It is the subject which provides learners with communication skills in English. This subject is in line with the SD4 [Sustainable Development Goal]: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all.”

For Mathematics, it reads: “Mathematics is fundamental to national prosperity in providing tools for understanding science, engineering, technology and economics. It is essential in public decision-making and for participation in the knowledge economy, and promotes critical thinking.”

Therefore, there is a reason behind the 15 subjects in S1 and S2, and learners are encouraged to get ready for the task: full steam ahead!

Orientation is key

Moses Kafuko, a teacher at Central College Mityana says student orientation is important because they need to garner confidence for the new level with 15 subjects after primary education’s four examinable subjects.

“We carry out orientation. When they report in the first week, every member of department meets them and then we do orientation concerning the subjects they are going to take. We brief them about the new subjects, which are managed by the deputy academics office, together with the director of studies and the class teachers.

“We also brief them about what the subjects can lead them to be in future. In case someone offers Biology or Physics, we tell them what the subjects will lead them to in their career path. That is what we normally do,” he says.

Additionally, Kafuko says S1 students are also briefed about the new environment and the orientation is for a fortnight as the teaching goes on.

“We also brief them about the combination of the different elective subjects and what they will be offering in S2, S3 and S4. This is because some electives are complementary. We also tell them about the timetable so that the electives they choose should not clash. For example, if someone is offering French that student can’t do German or Japanese because they clash on the timetable,” he said.