Is Uganda failing on sciences in schools?

Nov 29, 2017

Only 26.4 per cent of the candidates took Mathematics, while the proportion of candidates who took Physics, Chemistry and Biology is much less than 20 per cent. The number of girls taking these subjects is particularly low.

Sciences are gradually becoming a complex puzzle for secondary schools, especially at an Advanced level of education.

Considering national examinations which were conducted at the end of last year, only a quarter of the student who joined A'level, had registered to sit for Sciences. To make matters worse, more than half of such students failed their national examinations.

Only 26.4 per cent of the candidates took Mathematics, while the proportion of candidates who took Physics, Chemistry and Biology is much less than 20 per cent.  The number of girls taking these subjects is particularly low.

Even when students take sciences at A'level, a few of them get to pass. An analysis of the data released by the Uganda National Examinations Board on Tuesday, shows that close to a half of the students who sat for sciences, failed them. More so, there are more females failing sciences, compared to males.

This partly explains why most traditional and good performing private schools; which are always grounded in sciences performed poorly in this the recently released Senior Six national examinations.

Of the 2,335 girls who did Physics, only 42.9% passed it and only just 0.3% (700 students) got As in it. For males, of the 10,500 students doing Physics only 42.4 passed it and of these only 1.2% got As. There was dismissal As in all the science subjects, compared to some Arts subjects which has more students passing with high level scores of As, Bs and Cs.

This also a serious concern for the First Lady and education minister Janet; who during the release of the national examinations noted that a number of students taking Mathematics and sciences is disturbingly low.

"Low entries in Mathematics and Sciences will have a serious and negative impact on the country's rate of advancement in science and technology. As we move towards industrialization and economic growth globally, science and technology are absolutely essential in this process," she noted.

 

 "Perhaps what we need to promote more is finding interesting methods of teaching sciences so that children don't feel as if it is a punishment to do sciences but instead enjoy it."

He added, "I understand that most of the Science and Mathematics candidates were in government-aided schools.  Most of the private schools have been contented with preparing and registering students for Arts subjects."


The private schools claim the cost of teaching sciences is high, and the likelihood of students failing is also high.  Most schools, it has been found, take arts to be easier and cheaper to teach.

Elijah Male, the Head teacher of The Academy of St. Lawrence says, "Most schools always try to discourage learners, with a hidden view of meeting costs of teaching them to pass."

"Not all schools have the required apparatus. In other cases, the schools do not have science teachers or even textbooks. Remember that the Government itself is struggling in getting and paying for enough science teachers in schools."

He also cites the limited quality of textbooks for science subjects on the market. "Even when you can afford buying the required textbooks for your schools, at times there are no good available options on the market. We are stuck in the olden times books."


But the education minister encourages private schools to seriously consider investing in, and encouraging the teaching of Sciences in their schools, "Because we are relying on them to give all the opportunities of learning to the children under their care."

 

"If they deny those students the science subjects, they are denying them their right and perhaps robing Uganda of some excellent scientists," she says.

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