The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) is requesting a one-year extension for the phase-out of the old curriculum, which would allow students who might fail exams this year to have a second opportunity to take exams under the old curriculum next year.
This change is prompted by the recognition that Uganda is undergoing its first curriculum change, and there are students who may not perform well in the current exams, those who may not have the chance to sit for exams due to various reasons, and adult learners who have been following the old curriculum.
If the proposed transition period is approved, students or learners who have not had the opportunity to take exams this year but have been studying under the old curriculum would be examined next year.
The current Senior Four candidates taking their exams are the last group of students following the old curriculum.
The proposed transition period will also allow UNEB to prepare exams for the current Senior Four students who would miss this year’s exams.
In addition, the proposed transition period will give schools more time to adjust to the new curriculum and implement it effectively.
However, the final decision on whether or not to approve the transition period rests with the Ministry of Education and Sports.
What does the new curriculum mean for students?
The new curriculum emphasizes assessing learners based on their competencies through integration activities and projects. Under this new curriculum, UNEB will partially grade students based on marks obtained through continuous assessment (class work) when they sit for the UCE examinations next year.
The new curriculum allocates 20 percent of the final UCE results to continuous assessment conducted by schools and submitted to Uneb through a portal, with the remaining 80 percent coming from the final exam. This is a departure from the previous system where learners were evaluated solely based on 100 percent Uneb examinations.
The new curriculum is designed to produce graduates who are more well-rounded and have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st century workforce.
