Education ministry to schools: Set your own examination papers

“Education bureaus are the other mushrooming businesses. It is a test for this and a test for that. What then, is the role of teachers?”

Those are some of the sentiments shared by the director of Basic and Secondary Education, Robinson Nsumba-Lyazzi, on why the education ministry has banned purchasing external tests for assessment of students.

According to a circular issued by the ministry recently, the ban also covers the incessant testing being administered in schools.

“The ministry is extremely concerned about the escalating practice of frequent and endless testing of learners in both public and private schools.

"The wanton testing is unfortunately, at the expense of effective teaching and learning, which are premised on the competent lesson preparation, delivery and follow up,” reads the circular.

According to the ministry, administering commercially-generated tests from persons who are not directly engaged with the learners and in total disregard of the curriculum is detrimental to the learners' cognitive development.

Curriculum expert, Mulumba Mutema from the National Curriculum Development Centre explained that assessment which has a Latin background means sitting on the same table to support another person to do their best.

“So teachers must observe the learners; converse about what they see learners doing so that they do it very well and ensure that each and every learner has attained the same standard of skill,” he said.

Currently, students according to Mulumba, have to do tests such as beginning of term, holiday work test, weekly test, topical test, monthly test, midterm test, pre mock, district mocks test and end of term tests.

“This is not only strenuous for the learners, but leaves them in panic as to when they are sitting for the next. It is just counterproductive,” Mulumba said.

The curriculum according to the expert, recommends continuous assessment of learners.

Read related story in today’s New Vision Newspaper.