Exams in primary schools, colleges to change
May 02, 2011
EXAMINATIONS will no longer be the final basis for assessing pupils’ performance in primary schools, according to the revised curriculum.
By CONAN BUSINGE
EXAMINATIONS will no longer be the final basis for assessing pupils’ performance in primary schools, according to the revised curriculum.
The National Curriculum Development Centre, under the education ministry, now wants continuous assessment to be the basis of checking the performance of pupils in Primary One to Three.
The education ministry’s permanent secretary, Francis-Xavier Lubanga, said the new assessment follows the thematic transition and upper primary curricula.
“This assessment focuses on what a learner can ‘do’ rather than merely what they ‘know’ or can ‘remember,†he explained.
The priority at this stage of learning and teaching is the development of skills, values, understanding and the ability to explore and discover more from the environment.
This will be through developing critical thinking skills and using their senses, rather than learning information.
But, according to Connie Kateeba, the director of the curriculum centre, continuous assessment will gradually be stretched to other classes (Primary Four to Seven).
Asked whether continuous assessment would replace Primary Leaving Examinations, Kateeba said the centre was working out a comprehensive assessment guideline for all classes.
“We will later share the guidelines with the stakeholders and have them rolled out to the whole country.
Once the guidelines are released, we will start with a pilot study and later have schools on the same course,†she explained.
EXAMINATIONS will no longer be the final basis for assessing pupils’ performance in primary schools, according to the revised curriculum.
The National Curriculum Development Centre, under the education ministry, now wants continuous assessment to be the basis of checking the performance of pupils in Primary One to Three.
The education ministry’s permanent secretary, Francis-Xavier Lubanga, said the new assessment follows the thematic transition and upper primary curricula.
“This assessment focuses on what a learner can ‘do’ rather than merely what they ‘know’ or can ‘remember,†he explained.
The priority at this stage of learning and teaching is the development of skills, values, understanding and the ability to explore and discover more from the environment.
This will be through developing critical thinking skills and using their senses, rather than learning information.
But, according to Connie Kateeba, the director of the curriculum centre, continuous assessment will gradually be stretched to other classes (Primary Four to Seven).
Asked whether continuous assessment would replace Primary Leaving Examinations, Kateeba said the centre was working out a comprehensive assessment guideline for all classes.
“We will later share the guidelines with the stakeholders and have them rolled out to the whole country.
Once the guidelines are released, we will start with a pilot study and later have schools on the same course,†she explained.