New curriculum due
Jul 03, 2006
A new primary school curriculum will be implemented in February 2007, starting with primary one (P1), the education ministry announced yesterday.
By Carol Natukunda
A new primary school curriculum will be implemented in February 2007, starting with primary one (P1), the education ministry announced yesterday.
The curriculum, dubbed ‘thematic curriculum,’ targets the lower primary section (P1-P3) to ensure that children acquire sufficient literacy and numeracy skills in both local languages and English.
The upper primary (P4-P5) curriculum is yet to be designed.
The education minister, Namirembe Bitamazire, said a 2004 study had recommended that the previous curriculum be reviewed, due to the overall poor performance levels of primary school leavers.
Bitamazire said under the new thematic curriculum, respective local languages would be used in the teaching and learning of subjects except English, to make it much easier for pupils to understand.
“The medium of instruction is defined in line with the government policy, as stipulated in the White Paper; teaching and learning of all subjects except English will be in the local language,†she said in a speech read by the ministry’s director of education, Dr. John Mbabazi, at a workshop at Sports View Hotel, Kireka in Wakiso.
“In urban areas where it is not practicable to use any one single language, English may be used as the medium of instruction. But the most commonly used local language will be taught as a subject. Evaluation of learning will be in the language of instruction,†Bitamazire (above) added.
She said there was need for districts to establish district language boards, so as to agree on the language to be used in schools.
The commissioner for primary and pre-primary education, Sam Onek, said the quality of education would be improved.
“It (curriculum) gives the child a holistic impression of what is being taught. Let’s look at the broader view of enhancing quality in education. The content will recognise that only a small percentage passes through nursery school. So it will compensate children who do not go to nursery school,†Onek said.
The director of the National Curriculum Development Centre, Connie Kateeba, said the curriculum had been piloted profitably in Kampala, Iganga, Kumi, Moroto, Rukungiri, Kasese, Rakai, Gulu, Arua, Nakasongola and Kabarole.
She said P1 teachers would be trained before the curriculum is launched.
A new primary school curriculum will be implemented in February 2007, starting with primary one (P1), the education ministry announced yesterday.
The curriculum, dubbed ‘thematic curriculum,’ targets the lower primary section (P1-P3) to ensure that children acquire sufficient literacy and numeracy skills in both local languages and English.
The upper primary (P4-P5) curriculum is yet to be designed.
The education minister, Namirembe Bitamazire, said a 2004 study had recommended that the previous curriculum be reviewed, due to the overall poor performance levels of primary school leavers.
Bitamazire said under the new thematic curriculum, respective local languages would be used in the teaching and learning of subjects except English, to make it much easier for pupils to understand.
“The medium of instruction is defined in line with the government policy, as stipulated in the White Paper; teaching and learning of all subjects except English will be in the local language,†she said in a speech read by the ministry’s director of education, Dr. John Mbabazi, at a workshop at Sports View Hotel, Kireka in Wakiso.
“In urban areas where it is not practicable to use any one single language, English may be used as the medium of instruction. But the most commonly used local language will be taught as a subject. Evaluation of learning will be in the language of instruction,†Bitamazire (above) added.
She said there was need for districts to establish district language boards, so as to agree on the language to be used in schools.
The commissioner for primary and pre-primary education, Sam Onek, said the quality of education would be improved.
“It (curriculum) gives the child a holistic impression of what is being taught. Let’s look at the broader view of enhancing quality in education. The content will recognise that only a small percentage passes through nursery school. So it will compensate children who do not go to nursery school,†Onek said.
The director of the National Curriculum Development Centre, Connie Kateeba, said the curriculum had been piloted profitably in Kampala, Iganga, Kumi, Moroto, Rukungiri, Kasese, Rakai, Gulu, Arua, Nakasongola and Kabarole.
She said P1 teachers would be trained before the curriculum is launched.