(This article was first published in the New Vision on August 31, 2022)
By John Masaba
Many teachers are still reluctant to embrace the new curriculum, John Chrysostom Muyingo, the Minister of State for Higher Education, has said.
“Many of them still refer to it as tiresome in terms of preparation, and claim that finding instruction materials is difficult,” the minister said, adding that the resistance is affecting the successful implementation of the curriculum.
He explained that the ministry will continue to persuade the reluctant teachers to get on board using friendly interventions, but could soon be forced to think of sanctions against those that continue to resist the government programme.
“We will advise the appointing authority or whoever is responsible for taking action on you, if you fail to perform, after all these efforts,” he said.
Muyingo was speaking during a training workshop of secondary school headteachers and district education officials at Kololo Secondary school in Kampala.
The workshop was organised by STiR Education, a local non-governmental organisation, in conjunction with the ministry.
While addressing more than 100 educators and sector administrators at the event, Muyingo said the ministry’s efforts have been slowed down by inspectors of schools who have failed to execute their supervisory role well.
To fill that gap, he said, the ministry is now training headteachers to take up some supervisory roles of the inspectors, to ensure proper roll out of the curriculum.
“We are also going to mobilise stakeholders, such as parents, to also play roles in this supervision. We are not prepared to lose this curriculum,” he said.
STIR Education Lauded
The minister lauded STiR Education for implementing their teacher training programmes in the 78 districts of Uganda, where they operate, saying this is revolutionising the teaching and learning process.
“My ministry recognises the efforts of development partners, such as STiR Education, which are complementing our efforts to improve the quality of education across the country,” he said.
STiR Education is an international NGO that supports education systems in India and Uganda, to reignite intrinsic motivation in teachers and officials in the sector.
He said the entity’s programmes have also enabled the government to improve some aspects of the Teachers Policy, particularly teachers having access to continuous professional development.
Muyingo added that STiR Education has also been supportive of the government’s implementation of the Teacher Incentive Framework, specifically the short term and long term professional rewards implementation strategy.
“Under the professional short term implementation strategy, the programme has contributed to amplification of teachers’ voices, teacher recognition and prestige. Within the long term professional strategy, they have contributed to teacher mentorship and strengthening of leadership skills of headteachers and different officials,” he said.
Modern Karema Musiimenta, the STiR Education country director, said while they have been embraced by government schools, many private schools have been slow to embrace it.
“We are working with teachers’ associations to see how we can bring them on board. We know that triple the number of schools in Uganda are actually private schools,” he said.
Sam Kuloba, the commissioner for secondary schools in the Ministry of Education and Sports, said STiR was focusing on a critical area of mindset change.
“This kind of training is important because it is tailored to the National Development Plan III,” he said.
Competence Based
Rolled out in 2021, the lower secondary (S. 1 and S.2) curriculum emphasises what learners are doing or are expected to do, rather than focusing on what learners are expected to know. The goal of the new curriculum is to give each learner the opportunity to master essential skills that are necessary to succeed in the world of work.
The curriculum is learner-centered and adaptive to the changing needs of students, teachers and society.
Implementation of the curriculum has so far cost the government a total of sh60b, according to sources in the ministry of education and sports.
John Chrysostom Muyingo said the curriculum is being rejected by some teachers because it does not allow somebody to moonlight as much as it was in the past.
“One must have time to prepare before the lesson begins. This curriculum is forcing people to think,” he said.
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