(This article was first published on January 11, 2023)
By David Lukiiza
Fred Muwewesi, the new lower secondary school curriculum project’s co-ordinator at Kigezi High School, says when the curriculum was introduced, the students developed cold feet about it.
According to Muwewesi, his students in the Senior One class were not active during their 2:30 pm. activity time. “To change this apathy, the students were sensitised about its benefits.
After two training sessions and briefings, they began to identify their interests,” he says. But Muwewesi says the school still needs to sensitise parents who feel adding the new curriculum to the subjects the students have to cover in Senior One and Two is too much.
“We have so far trained over 100 parents on the new curriculum, which has helped us to be more effective in implementing it,” he says.
It is vital to get parents involved because they contribute almost 50% to the materials and tools required. The school offers six programmes that include: Foods and nutrition, physical education, art and design, tailoring and weaving, and woodworking.
Muwewesi is confident that the curriculum will enable students to be job creators rather than seekers. The programme has taught students to use cheap available raw materials for their projects. Nawulira Twesigye, who is in Senior Two, is doing woodwork and carpentry.
Even though he has a disability, Twesigye is passionate about his occupation. He hopes to assist his father in his furniture workshop in Kabale town by the end of Senior Two. “I hope to join my father at his workshop where I will be able to produce wooded key holders, hotel treys and earrings,” he says.
