New Curriculum Out

Jan 10, 2002

PRIMARY school pupils might have little time to play when the new academic year starts on February 4.

By Anthony MugeerePRIMARY school pupils might have little time to play when the new academic year starts on February 4.Agriculture, Religious Education and Performing Arts and Physical Education (PAPE) will now be taught and examined as separate subjects under the second volume of the primary school curriculum launched yesterday. Kiswahili and local languages will also be introduced and examined separately in 2003, followed by Integrated Production Skills (IPS) in 2004.Education and sports minister Dr. Kiddu Makubuya who presided over the ceremony, said the agriculture, IPS and religious education syllabi will be initially introduced in classes 1 to 4. Classes 5-7 will continue with the 1990 curriculum currently in use, he added.“For the Performing Arts and Physical Education, all classes 1-7 will be implementing the 2000 Performing Arts and Physical Education syllabus.“The teaching and learning of Kiswahili in the year 2003 will initially start in P4 class, while the Local Language syllabus will start operating in P1 in the same year,” Makubuya said shortly before launching the volume and teaching guides to volume 1 and 2 at the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) headquarters in Kyambogo, Kampala. The ceremony marked the completion of the primary school curriculum reform which also saw the launch of volume one in September 1999. The launch of the second volume was delayed due to a standoff between donors and government over its relevance and impact on education.Makubuya, however, said the curriculum was produced and launched following a consensus between key education partners and stakeholders.He described as ‘timely’ the introduction of Kiswahili.“You could hardly have a better time for the appearance of Kiswahili on the Uganda Primary School Curriculum. It is a vital regional and international language which will not only connect young Ugandans to their Kiswahili-speaking neighbours in Kenya and Tanzania but will also contribute towards uniting them and empower them to exploit wider business opportunities.” NCDC director Prof. Peter Muyanda said the centre would soon start reviewing and updating the secondary school curriculum.Ends

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