Ethics teaching overdue

THE decision by government to introduce a curriculum on ethics and integrity in schools is long over due. Nevertheless, it is better late than never.Ethics and integrity minister, Miria Matembe last week said they were designing the curriculum to be taught right from primary to inculcate a culture of transparency, accountability, good governance and morality.It is a known fact that attitude change is key to taming the moral decadence and corruption in our society. Currently, ethics and integrity is only taught in a few higher institutions of learning, yet attitude change should start right from the young whose minds are still a form of tabula rasa (blank slate). The minister is therefore, spot on that the subject be taught from primary.THINK AGAIN TORORO LEADERSTORORO district leaders have resolved to defy Universal Primary Education (UPE) guidelines of automatic promotions. In a meeting with the area MP, Geoffrey Ekanya, recently they held mass promotion responsible for poor results in the district.This was the most unfortunate decision. At the time when most countries are even abolishing higher level entry examinations - the equivalent of UNEB examinations - to allow more children progress to the next levels, these leaders are thinking in the reverse. They should know that, the thinking now is, pupils do not fail. It is the teachers who fail to reach the minds of the pupils. So, the leaders should instead think of motivating the teachers to produce better results rather than holding the pupils’ progress.ends