Curriculum reforms bounce back in the 2017/18 budget

After an indefinite suspension of curriculum review process for the lower secondary school curriculum last year, the Minister of Finance Planning and Economic Development, Matia Kasaija, has yet again highlighted curriculum review as major intervention in addressing challenges in the education sector.

While reading the 2017/18 budget on Thursday at the Serena Conference Centre in Kampala, Kasaija stated that despite the success in the education sector, declining proficiency in literacy and numeracy and skill gaps are among the major challenges the sector is grappling with. The others are infrastructure deficits, teachers' absenteeism and cases of ‘ghost' pupils/students that distort budgeting for and release of capitation grant.

According to the Minister, the curriculum will be reviewed with emphasis on science, competency and life skills.

Responding to the Minister's declaration, Grace Baguma, the Executive Director of the National Curriculum Development Centre(NCDC), expressed optimism as government makes curriculum review a priority.

"It's good to know that this has been highlighted as a priority intervention. We therefore hope that appropriate funding will follow for this to be achieved." She said.

Baguma added that before the agency embarks on the review, they have to carry out massive consultations and awareness so as to avoid previous experiences.

"I think the last time we had a lot of conflicting perceptions about the curriculum. To avoid that people, need to be engaged at every level of the review," she said.

The multi-million-dollar World Bank funded project that was abandoned after about eight years of review was as had earlier been explained by the NCDC ‘aimed at initiating a shift from the old model of secondary education which was designed to prepare a minority of children for higher education and public service to a broader, more inclusive curriculum designed to satisfy all abilities.'

Under the revised curriculum, the 48 subjects had been constricted into eight learning areas with science subjects combined into one called sciences.

The constricted model caused a lot of controversy from different stakeholders including parliamentarians. The other point of contention was the introduction of sexuality education as one of the learning areas.

The curriculum review was also hit by a lack of funding with a total of $55m (sh187 billion) needed if a rollout was to happen as scheduled.

This money was to produce new learning materials such as textbooks, syllabi and teaching guides, retooling teachers, construction of at least 100 resource centres across the country, training advisory teachers, monitoring and inspection of the implementation, awareness campaigns among others.

The education system in its current state has been blamed for the high youth unemployment in the country at double digits.

The botched curriculum review timeline

1987-Discussions start on need to review the curriculum

2006-NCDC engages different stakeholders

2007- CURASSE report on curriculum review is released

2009-Bid call for consultancy services on curriculum review

2010-Consultant is procured

2011-Curriculum review starts with planned rollout in 2015

 2015- Proposed rollout fails

2016-Money not included in the budget

2017-Proposed pilot in 20 schools across the country

2018-National rollout