CURRICULUM CHANGE AND INNOVATION 2

As the environment changes and societies portray new needs, so does the curriculum keep
changing to address these needs. A change in the society will provoke changes in the school
curriculum since the school is a social institution serving the society.
Curriculum Change –
A shift in position of a curriculum due to perceived need or unforeseen circumstances.
Curriculum change may take different forms, for example;
Minor changes:
These involve re-arrangement of subject content, learning activities, re-organization of
personnel, and addition of topics or methods in the curriculum project.
Medium changes which involves not only organizing of content, materials or facilities, but it
involves integration of subjects or new approaches to the existing subjects. On the other hand;
Major change involves an overhaul of the existing curriculum. It may involve complete re-
organization of the conceptual design of the curriculum, change in structure, content, methods
and approaches. Materials and facilities; leading to a totally new curriculum plan or program.

Curriculum Innovation - Innovation means the introduction of something, ideas or practices

that are new and deviate from the standard practice or formal prescribed curriculum. Innovations
are systematic and planned for. Innovations in education have specific and defined
characteristics.
Criteria for judging the Value of Curriculum Innovation
Rogers and Shoemaker (1971) identified basic criteria on the basis of which the value of an
innovation can be judged.
Following are five criteria that can be used. These are: relative advantage, compatibility,
Triability, Observability, and complexity. Let’s examine each of them in turn.
a).Relative advantage
This is the degree to which an innovation is perceived as being better or introducing useful
knowledge leading to acceptability and the rate of adoption. An innovation should bring
improvement in the learning of students, should be economically manageable, and should have a
low initial cost which poses no special risk to anybody’s security.
b). Compatibility – refers to the degree to which an innovation is perceived as being in
agreement with or supportive of the potential adopters’ needs and values.
c). Triability – This refers to the extent to which an innovation can be piloted without taking too
much time, energy or funds. The concern is whether sufficient data can be obtained from a
limited trial in order to make a decision as to whether the innovation is necessary or not.
d). Observability - Means that the potential adopters and sponsors of an innovation would like
to see tangible results. The immediate consequences of the innovation should be clearly defined.
e). Complexity – An innovation must be simple enough to be understood and utilized. If the
potential adopters perceive it as being too complicated in terms of time, money and expertise,
they may avoid it or reject it.
An innovation must fit in with the goals and objectives of education which usually reflect the
needs, interests, values and problems of the society. An innovation must be appropriate,
economical in terms of time, space and resources; aligned with the philosophy of the society and
the school, and rooted in sound educational theory.

Purpose/ reasons for curricula changes and innovations

Since human needs are never static, a static curriculum can never be relevant to such humanity.
So the ever changing need of man is the core reason for curriculum changes and innovations.
Some of the reasons include;
 To cope with technological changes
 To meet labor market demands
 To meet political interests
 To meet economic changes
 To address pressing social challenges
 To respond to international or external demands
 To preserve cultural values and customs
 To meet the national educational goals and philosophy
Agencies/ Stakeholder of curriculum Innovation & change
For curriculum change to occur, there are certain agencies involved in the process. Agencies of
change include;- institutes of Education, Curriculum Development Centers, Research Institutes,
Schools, Colleges, Universities, Ministries of Education (all sections and departments),
Publishing firms, Examination bodies, Local Education Authorities, Teachers’ Unions and the
lay public.

Curriculum Innovation Process / Stages /steps

Bishop (1986) identify the following stages
(a) Identify a problem, dissatisfaction or need that requires attention. (Initial disturbance). This
is the pressure exerted to a system either from within or without. This disturbance
constitutes the problem to be dealt with.

- Feeling of need and decision to act on it;

- Diagnosis of problem;
(d) Generate possible solutions to the identified problem or need. Search for solution to the
problem. Select a particular solution or innovation that has been identified as the most
appropriate.
(c) Conduct a trial. Application of possible solution to solve the problem
(d ) Evaluation of the strategies applied to see whether it will successfully solve the problem
aligned with the philosophy of the society and the school,androoted in sound educational theory.
(e) Review the evaluation.
If the innovation has solved the identified problem, implement it on a wide scale.
(f) Adopt and institutionalize (implement it on a wide/ national scale) the innovation or search
for another solution.
Strategies and Models for Curriculum Change and Innovation
In order for change and innovation to succeed, the strategies for implementing the curriculum
must be considered carefully.
A strategy of innovation refers to the planned procedures and techniques employed in the quest
for change. Harris et al. (1978), as cited in Curriculum Implementation (University of
Zimbabwe, 1995), developed some models to explain how this takes place.
Strategies
Participative Problem-Solving
This strategy focuses on the users, their needs and how they satisfy these needs. The system
identifies and diagnoses its own needs, finds its own solution, tries out and evaluates the solution
and implements the solution if it is satisfactory. The emphasis is on local initiative.

Planned Linkage
In this model, the intermediate agencies, such as schools, bring together the users of the
innovation.
Coercive Strategies
These strategies operate on the basis of power and coercion by those in authority, using laws,
directories, circulars and so forth. Ministries of Education usually use these strategies.
Open Input Strategies.
These are open, flexible, pragmatic approaches that make use of external ideas and resources.

Models
Tanner and Tanner (1980: 262), as cited in Curriculum Implementation (University of
Zimbabwe, 1995: 75), emphasize three principal models which illustrate how change takes place.
These are outlined below.
The Research, Development and Diffusion Model
In this model, an innovation is conceived at the head or centre and then fed into the system. RD
& D is effective where curriculum development is done on a large scale and ideas have to reach
wide geographical areas and isolated users. It is a highly organized, rational approach to
innovation. Following is a logical sequence of activities in using the RD & D model.This views
the processes of change as a rational sequence of phases in which an innovation is:
1. Invented or discovered,
2. Developed,
3. Produced, and
4. Disseminated to the user.
The model can be summarized as follows:-
This model is used in countries which have centralized systems of education under Ministries of
Education. Many African countries fall under this category.

The model can be summarized as follows:-

Research Mass Mass User

Dvpt of Production Diffusion
prototype

This model is used in countries which have centralized systems of education under Ministries of
Education. Many African countries fall under this category.
a) Advantages of the model

 National problems / priorities can be tackled. It is solely based on established research

findings. Use of research provides reliable data for curriculum development
 Materials are quality and adequately tested before use. The tryout stage ensures that
problems can be detected early and modification.
 It provides an easy opportunity to train and re-train curriculum implementers.
 It uses proven curriculum development processes.
 It has appropriate method of selecting specialists and experts in the trial testing of
curriculum materials before installation in schools.
 There is fast diffusion of an innovation since teachers/ user system is presented with an
already made innovation through established structures from the center to the respective
districts. For example, teachers and head teachers can be invited in the roll out workshop
either by the Commission of Education or District Education Officers and thereafter,
there are instructed to implement the innovation as according to design in their respective
schools.
 A uniform innovation is implemented at a large scale according to its original design
from the change agent and monitoring the implementation of the innovation is done from
the center through the office of Directorate of Education Standards, District Education
Office and other education inspectorate organizations
b) Disadvantages of the model
  High cost e.g. due to research costs
 Limits teacher’s involvement and creativity in designing and modifying the innovation
before its dissemination and adoption since the innovation is expected to be applied
according to its original design. It presumes that teachers/users do not have the required
research skills to initiate an innovation.
 Generalization and therefore rigid ideas i.e. local variations are ignored
 May be resisted by implementers and users
 Specific needs of schools may be neglected since the change agent may assume that the
teachers are rational and that a good innovation can work well anywhere in the user
country. Therefore, the unique characteristics of learning environment and teachers
maybe neglected.
 RD&D is more effective in providing teachers and learners guide inform of content but
the successful execution of the teaching may not be effective as expected since the
teachers do not own the innovation. Optimal utilization of an innovation in teaching
strategies rely on the teachers’ understanding of the innovation, willingness and
creativity.
 Teachers are passive recipient of the innovation materials and therefore they might be
limited commitment in the user system in implementing the innovation at full capacity.
Thus, there is a possibility of a good innovation failing at adaption and implementation
stage because the user system may either misinterpret the innovation or tend to
intentionally fail it.
 They might be a challenge of understanding the innovation since the user takes a passive
role in developing the innovation. Using power from the center, the user may implement
the innovation with limited knowledge and unable to contextualize the innovation to the
school audience.
Problem-Solving Model (Periphery – Centre approach)
This model is based on the assumption that an innovation is part of a problem solving process.
The model is built around the user of the innovation; the innovators are the users themselves.
They try to use the ideas. Personnel and resources they have to solve their own problem(s) that
follows the steps below.
1. Determine the problem.
2. Search for an innovation.
3. Evaluate the trials.
4. Implement the innovation.
The problem solving method is referred to as a periphery – centre approach to innovation. The
innovations are initiated, generated and applied by the teachers and schools on the basis of their
needs. Such innovation has strong user commitment and the best chance for long term survival.
In this model the receiver is actively involved in finding an innovation to solve his/her own
unique problem. This model is flexible enough to encompass all types of innovations, including
materials, methods, and groupings of learners.
Thus the problem solving model is local in nature, usually limited in size, and may not be of high
quality compared with more centralized approaches to curriculum development.

The following steps are characteristic of the problem solving model: illustrates the problem-
solving model

Felt need- identified

Need is translated into a problem

Diagnosis of the problem

Diagnosis leads to search for solutions

Search for tentative solutions

 Select best alternative

Try out and evaluate innovation

Possible solutions are evaluated- the innovation

which provides the best solution is then tested

for its effectiveness

Implementation of the innovation

Advantages of the model

 It gives teachers/ user system freedom to create their own curriculum innovations that
address their concerns and workable to their school context. The user/ teacher is
presumed to possess research skills needed to initiate an innovation and to naturally
implement an innovation without being coerced. Teacher will be more committed
because he/she is the innovator himself or herself and therefore the innovation will
survive longer
 Innovation answers particular problem i.e. it is very relevant. Teachers own the
innovation and their level of commitment towards the implementation of the innovation
is high.
 There is flexibility as far as time, resources and methods are concerned. It produces
flexible innovations that allow the user system/teachers to make modifications in the
innovation so that it suits the changing school context and use of the available resources
to optimally implement an innovation.
b) Disadvantages of the model
  Limited quality because it may lack expertise knowledge
 May be gambling, not found on the some basic principles
 May tame much of the teacher’s time. That is; instead of teaching, a teacher may be so
much absorbed in the development of the innovation.
 Cost of conducting an extensive research to produce high quality innovation may not be
easily afforded by an individual teacher or institution

Social Interaction Model (Periphery to Periphery Model)

Here the change agent/ initiator of the innovation is from grass root level (periphery-periphery
model) particularly a teacher who develops an innovation. The innovation is then diffused
naturally to the user system through effective interpersonal communication. Social interaction
model stresses emphasis on human relationships between members of the adopting group and
diffusion of ideas base on flow of message from person to person. Diffusion of the innovation
may either be informal through personal contact between the change agent/ school and adopting
person or formal through attending courses, conferences or workshops organized by the
innovation agent/school.

Anaele (2008) states that this model involves the transmission of knowledge by individuals,
along informal networks of professional colleagues and friends. This model is non-linear since
the policy makers consult a variety of sources that may include practitioners, administrators and
interest groups. Social interactive model bases on five assumptions that include;

a) the network of social relations has a great role to play in innovation diffusion,
b) the level of acceptance can be predicted by social reference,
c) personal contact is important in influencing adoption of innovation,
d) group membership predicts individual adoption and multi-level effect.
Therefore, teachers and schools that have effective communication channels have greater
chances of adopting an innovation

This model operates through social interaction and emphasizes diffusion of messages from
person to person. It stresses the importance of interpersonal networks of information, of opinion
leadership, personal contacts and social integration.

The strategy takes the form of convincing administrators and teachers of the usefulness of a new
device or practice and enabling them to see for themselves the new practitioner using the
innovation. Individuals involved are the ones to implement the innovations. The process involves
individuals rather than groups and organizations. It is unplanned and informal hence slow in
development.
This unplanned process can be made more systematic by structuring and
Coordinating the contacts between groups and individuals interested in curriculum development.
This can be done through courses, conferences, visitations. In social interaction model, the
central agency acts merely as a coordinator or communicator of ideas rather than being the
generator of ideas. Ideas are generated at the periphery and communicated via the centre to other
points on the periphery.
In this model, change proceeds or diffuses through formal or informal contacts between
interacting social groups. It is based on the following:
• Awareness of innovation
• Interest in the innovation
• Trial
• Adoption for permanent use.
The model stresses the importance of interpersonal networks of information, opinion, leadership
and personal contact (University of Zimbabwe, 1995: 76).

The process of social interaction model involves the procedure as reflected below, illustrates the
operation of social interaction model.

Awareness of Interest in
Need for an Conducting
an existing an adoption
innovation trials
innovation innovation
Advantages of Social interaction model

 The user system mutually adapts the innovation and is willing to make modification in
the innovation to see to it that it works in the school context of the user.
 It addresses the needs of the school particularly if an innovation is borrowed from an
institution with similar conditions as the receiver school of an innovation. Therefore, the
success of social interaction model depends on careful feasibility study of the receiving
school before implementing an innovation from another institution.
 Promote high level of commitment and ownership of an innovation by the user system to
implement the innovation. Teachers are able to interpret the innovation that suit their
school context and where necessary improvise the resources to enable effective
implementation of an innovation.
Disadvantages of Social interaction model
 The need for and development of an innovation may not be identified by the teacher
within the school setting in which an innovation is to be applied thus the real education
problem of that particular school may not be addressed by implementing an innovation
from another school.
 Its dissemination is slow since it depends on how the user system relates with the change
institution. The implementation of an innovation depends on willingness of the teacher to
take it on and when to adopt an innovation remains at teachers’ personal interest in the
innovation.
 A good innovation may be neglected because the change institution may either be a
competitor in business or the likely borrower of the innovation may not be in good
relationship with the change agent thus affecting the adoption.
Planned Linkage model
In planned linkage model, there is systematic coordination of the innovation by the intermediary
such as teacher training institutions and resource centers with the central agency (change agent)
and the schools (user system). Schools link with various specialized agencies such as resource
centers, professional centers, education consultants, teachers’ associations/ union and ICT
centers to ensure that an innovation is implemented at fidelity level (Hoyle, 1993). These
agencies are a link between the national agencies such as curriculum development, change and
innovation school to provide consultancy, in-service training of teachers and continuous support
supervision to the end users. The linkage model is an example of the planned linkage strategy
that integrates three models to ensure effective adaptation of an innovation (RD&D, Problem-
solving and Social-interaction).

Advantages of Planned Linkage

 It strikes the balance between the strengths of centralized and decentralized models.
There are many chances for the implementation of an innovation to be widely accepted
and implemented since the center- periphery, periphery- center or periphery- periphery
approaches are used. The weaknesses of one model is resolved by incorporating the
strength of the other.
 The role of each party in the planning, developing and implementing the innovation is
clearly spelt out at the planning phase which facilitates collaboration between the
intermediary, school and the disseminating unit. Each party uses the guidelines provided
by the change agent to evaluate the progress of the innovation and to suggest possible
interventions needed to make the innovation better.
 It promotes sustainability of the innovation in terms of financial and human resource. All
the sectors involved in the development and implementation of an innovation have the
responsibility of putting in place budgets and time needed to monitor the progress of an
innovation. Intermediary agencies such as resource centers, internet centers, professional
associations and teacher training institutions provide time and resources needed for
continuous teacher professional development.
 Standard is maintained through the central agency that keeps on monitoring the
implementation of the innovation and attending to queries raised during the
 implementation of the innovation. Necessary adjustments as well are made to attend to
feedback from the implemented innovation so that the innovation becomes relevant and
adaptable.
Disadvantages of Planned Linkage Model
 It may not be easy to reach a mutual agreement between the central agency (change
agent), intermediary and schools (implementors) because different interest in the
innovation. The change agent may wish schools to implement the innovation according to
his/her wish yet either the schools or intermediary may think otherwise thus delaying the
take-off of the innovation.
 Coordination time between the intermediary that is resource centers with the central
agency and implementing schools may not be available since each party has a lot of
commitment. For example, schools may not be able to create time for the innovation
since there is a lot of time is spent on covering the syllabus. The intermediary also has a
busy schedule of implementing the programs within the institution or organization and
thus limited time to provide quality support in the implementation of an innovation.

Planning and Executing Change

You must note that for change to be implemented in the curriculum, a process has to take place.
This process involves four major factors. According to Bishop (1986), cited in
Curriculum Implementation (University of Zimbabwe, 1995: 80), these factors include:
• The change agent. In your situation, change agents include teachers, school heads, local
authorities or the Ministry of Education. The agent initiates the innovation or curriculum change
in general.
• The innovation. This involves executing the change itself; that is, putting it into use or
operation.
• The user system. This relates to the person or group of people at which the innovation is
directed.
• Time. Innovation is a social process, which takes place over a period of time.
Always remember that these factors interact with change and are changed by each other during
the process of innovation. It is also important to note that the curriculum change agent is
involved with the process, the planning and the strategies, and is frequently the user of the
innovation.
The Innovation Process
Innovation and change generally follow several logical steps:
1. Identify a problem, dissatisfaction or need that requires attention.
2. Generate possible solutions to the identified problem or need.
3. Select a particular solution or innovation that has been identified as the most appropriate.
4. Conduct a trial.
5. Evaluate the proposed solution.
6. Review the evaluation.
7. If the innovation has solved the identified problem, implement it on a wide scale.
8. Adopt and institutionalize the innovation or search for another solution.
Innovation Planning
Effective planning for innovation cannot take place unless the following elements are considered
in the process (University of Zimbabwe, 1995: 83):
• The personnel to be employed
• The specification of the actual task
• The strategy or procedure to be used to undertake the task
• The equipment needed
• The buildings and conducive environment
• The costs involved
• Social contexts
• Time involved
• Sequencing of activities
• Rationale for undertaking the innovation
• Evaluation of the consequences or effects of the innovation.
Conditions for Successful Implementation of Innovations
What conditions are necessary for users to implement the curriculum change or innovation
successfully? Potential users of an innovation are more likely to accept it if the conditions below
are met (University of Zimbabwe, 1995: 104).
• The innovation must be relevant to them.
• It must be feasible in their particular organizational context.
• It must be compatible with the practices, values and characteristics of their system.
• It must be seen as posing little or no threat to the user group’s identity, integrity and territory.
The innovation must be shown to be tolerable and non-threatening.
• The innovation must yield material or non-material benefits. Gains in social status or
recognition could be some of the non-material benefits.

Stakeholders in curriculum innovation

; NCDC, UNEB, DEO;

Uganda Secondary School Curriculum

Secondary Education in Uganda spans from S1 to S6. It is one of the options for forward
progression under Uganda's education system. Secondary education is divided into two cycles

 The Lower Secondary Education cycle referred to as  Ordinary level that leads to the
award of the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE). This cycle lasts a period of four
academic years. The curriculum menu at this level is in form of subjects and a learner is
expected to offer a minimum of 8 subjects and a maximum of 10.
 The Higher Secondary Education cycle referred to as Advanced Secondary level of
education that leads to the award of the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education
(UACE). This takes a period of two academic years to complete. The curriculum is
offered as a set of specialised subject combinations. A learner offers a combination of
three Principal subjects and two subsidiary subjects.

Objectives of Secondary Education

  Instilling and promoting national unity and an understanding of social and civic
responsibilities; strong love and care for others and respect for public property, as well as
an appreciation of international relations and beneficial international co-operation.
 Promoting an appreciation and understanding of the cultural heritage of Uganda
including its languages.
 Imparting and promoting a sense of self-discipline, ethical and spiritual values, personal
and collective responsibility and initiative.
 Enabling individuals to acquire and develop knowledge and an understanding of
emerging needs of society and the economy.
 Providing up-to-date and comprehensive knowledge in theoretical and practical aspects
of innovative production, modern management methods in the field of commerce and
industry and their application in the context of socio-economic development of Uganda.
 Enabling individuals to develop basic scientific, technological, technical, agricultural and
commercial skills required for self-employment.
 Enabling individuals to develop personal skills of problem-solving, information gathering
and interpretation, independent reading and writing, self-improvement through learning
and development of social, physical and leadership skills such as are obtained through
games, sports, societies and clubs.
 Laying the foundation for further education.
 Enabling the individual to apply acquired skills in solving problems of the community
and to develop in him/her a strong sense of constructive and beneficial belonging to that
community.
 Instilling positive attitudes towards productive work and strong respect for the dignity of
labour and those who engage in productive labour activities
 Subjects Taught at O level and their Status across the Country

Category Subject Name Status

All Compulsory
Science and Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physical
except General
Mathematics Education, General Science and Mathematics
Science
Languages English Language, Kiswahili, Literature in English, Only English is
 Local Languages and Foreign Languages compulsory
Only Geography and
Social Sciences Geography, History, Religious Education History are
compulsory
Commerce, Fine Art, Music,  Agriculture, Home
Vocational Economics,  Wood Work, Metal Work, Technical
All Optional
Subjects Drawing, Entrepreneurship Education , Computer
Studies

 Physical Education is taught in all schools but is not examined by UNEB at the end of
cycle. The Secondary Department also handles educational issues for the disadvantaged
learners and there is a Specialist appointed for this area

Uganda’s new curriculum for Lower Secondary

The government rolled out the new lower secondary education curriculum in February 2020 with
the aim of creating meeting the learners’ needs especially in regard to skills training and en-
hancement. The Minister for Education, Hon. Janet Museveni, in her statement to Parliament,
said that the need to review the curriculum was overdue since it had not been revisited since the
colonial education system was introduced. The Minister revealed that the old curriculum was
channeling out graduates with no practical skills to meet the demands in the labour market.
The National Curriculum Development Centre has made adjustments in the teaching subjects for
the lower secondary, for example, teaching subjects have been reduced from 43 to 21. In the new
approved curriculum, schools will teach 12 subjects at Senior One and Two, out of which 11 will
be compulsory while one will be from an elective menu (optional). Students at levels Three and
Four will exit with a minimum of eight or a maximum of nine subjects with seven of them com-
pulsory.
Consequently, some subjects have taken different forms: Music has now included dance and
drama to become Performing Arts; Fine Art has been redesigned to include elements of design
and it is now called Art and Design; Technical Drawing has been integrated with elements of
woodwork and metalwork and technology and it is now called Technology and Design; History
has been integrated with Political Education; Accounts and Commerce have been integrated in
Entrepreneurship education, and History has been integrated with Political Education.
Under the new curriculum, teachers will compile the learners’ achievements under the Formative
Assessment in the four-year cycle, find an average score and submit it to the Uganda National
Examinations Board to contribute at least 20 per cent in the final national examinations grading.
The Chinese language has been added to the menu of foreign languages while Kiswahili, Physi-
cal Education and entrepreneurship will be compulsory for all students in Senior One and Two.
The aim of changing the curriculum 
The new pedagogy aims at providing to the learners 21st Century skills which include; critical
thinking, creativity, collaboration or teamwork, communication, information literacy, ICT, and
flexibility. This is obviously good news to the nation, however, the perturbing question is
whether this will be implemented amidst the facility inadequacies in most of the Ugandan
schools. For the learners to become creative especially in ICT and the natural sciences there must
be necessary equipment such as well-furnished laboratories, effective internet and obviously
knowledgeable trainers. These are not present in most of the rural schools in Uganda which are
predominantly knowledge hubs for most of the young people.
Will the new curriculum cure the deficiencies in the old curriculum?
The State of Youth Report 2019 by Centre for Policy Analysis indicated that the majority of the
youth demanded more practical subjects and over 50% of them revealed that the education they
had received had not prepared them for the available opportunities in the labour market. The old
curriculum could not equip the learners with thorough skills and knowledge to become innova-
tive in order to create jobs but rather teaches them more of theoretical work than practical skills
and that explains the high levels of unemployment in Uganda.
I observe that the difference between the old curriculum and the new Curriculum is that the sub-
jects have reduced in number and some have taken different forms. Changing names of the sub-
jects may not yield much but rather emphasis should be put on the content taught in class. There
is no way of attaining different results when things are continued to be done as usual. The
dilemma is when the presumed practical subjects such as ICT, woodwork and metalwork remain
being taught in theory. If the learners are not exposed to the actual practice in these subjects, it
defeats the purpose for which the curriculum was reviewed.
In my opinion, the only way the new curriculum can equip learners with practical skills is when
the trainers in schools teach practical subjects ‘practically.’ Teaching computer skills to the stu-
dents without demonstrating on a computer makes computing a hoax to the learners. Similarly,
the woodwork class does not make more sense if there are no wood and equipment for practice.
Another important thing which I think the curriculum is not clear about is the ability of learners
to make decisions on what they want to be taught. Many times, the mode of teaching has been
teacher-centered which makes the teachers have all the leverage of determining what is to be
taught. Denying the learners an opportunity to participate in determining what skills they should
be taught, presents them in a situation of studying the content which they may not be interested
in. It is, therefore, noble that the leaner is put at the centre of learning.
Being aware of the gender stereotypes on science and practical subjects, I propose that female
students be prioritised by the trainers while teaching these practical subjects and be given all the
necessary support they deserve. In fact, there should be deliberate efforts by the stakeholders in
education to equip the ‘girl-child’ with practical and soft skills which will enable her to quickly
join the labour market so as to reduce her socioeconomic vulnerability.

Brief on the lower Secondary Curriculum

The current curriculum which has been in existence since colonial times has been criticized for
being knowledge-based with little emphasis on skills and values. It has been found not to
adequately address the issues faced by the learners of today and the social-economic needs of the
country. In order to address public concerns and in fulfillment of the recommendations of the
Government White Paper (1992), the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) through the
National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), embarked on the review of the curriculum at
all levels.
The genesis of the curriculum review process started with the Early Child hood
Development curriculum (ECD) in 2005, where government developed a Curriculum Framework
which was translated into 16 local languages and others which had approved orthographies. This
was followed by the review of the primary curriculum; which was aligned to the ECD
curriculum especially in the use of a familiar language at the early stages of learning. The
curriculum at the Lower Primary level P1 to P3 was aligned with that of ECD to ensure that
learning of concepts rotates around familiar themes and language to the learners. The emphasis
at this level is to enable learners acquire requisite numeracy, literacy and life skills.
The review of the Upper Primary Curriculum followed, with the aim of having it follow a
Competency Based approach and this was rolled out grade wise starting with P1 in 2007 up to P7
in 2013. It emphasizes the acquisition of both the language and subject competences.
After the review of the Upper Primary curriculum, it was necessary, to align the lower secondary
curriculum with the Primary Curriculum. The MoES undertook a study and came up with a
report on the Lower Secondary Curriculum, Assessment and Examination in 2007, highlighting
the following as the gaps in the existing curriculum
REPORT THIS AD
i) It is overloaded with a multiplicity of overlapping subjects which are expensive to implement.
ii) It is not in line with international benchmarks in key learning areas.
iii) It lays emphasis on ‘book learning’ rather than mastery of competencies and skills.
iv) It focuses mainly on academic achievement to select entry into the next cycle. This leaves out
many learners.
v) The examination system drives what is taught and how it is taught, instead of the reverse.
Most of the examinations questions emphasize understanding hence cram work. The papers and
the grading system do not cater for a wide ability range.
vi) Existing textbooks are content heavy and written for learners with the generally high reading
levels.
The Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) embarked on the review of the lower secondary
curriculum in 2008. The review was guided by the recommendations in the 1992 Government
White Paper on Education, the Vision 2040, National Development Plans I and II, the Education
Sector Strategic Plans (ESSPs) of 2004/05 – 2019/20, the NRM Manifesto 2016-2012, the East
African Secondary School Harmonised Curriculum Framework, the Sustainable Development
Goal number 4 and subsequent researches conducted by the MoES. In addition UNESCO, under
its department for curriculum, emphasizes the need for countries to focus on the reform of their
curricula if they are to achieve Sustainable Development Goal No.4 which aims to “Ensure
inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
Justification for the Curriculum Review
The many profound and rapid changes taking place in the country and globally today have
necessitated reform of the Lower Secondary School Curriculum in order to enable society to
cope with those changes. The explosion of knowledge in science and the consequent
developments in technology have created a need to learn new knowledge, skills and attitudes and
to acquire a high degree of adaptability, innovativeness and creativity. This, in addition to the
following, has created a need to overhaul the Lower Secondary Curriculum:
i) The current curriculum does not meet the needs of the 21st Century particularly in the area of
science and technology;
ii) The curriculum has a narrow focus on a small academic minority and not for the broad range
of student profiles to cater for the greater inclusiveness in learning achievements;
iii) To bring the current curriculum in line with the aspiration of the nation and the learners.
iv) To maximize the utilisation of resources by reducing the number of subjects further from 22
to a manageable and affordable number.
v) To reduce the school day thus giving students time for self-study, research work, group
discussions, project work and recreation.
vi) To design and develop a curriculum that balances the learning process which caters for the
three domains, (cognitive, affective and psychomotor). These are required for higher education
and the world of work.
vii) To come up with new approaches to assessment and certification that affords all learners an
opportunity to demonstrate their achievement according to their ability.
viii) To put in place a Curriculum Framework which clearly spells out what is to be taught and
learnt in each subject on the curriculum menu.
According to UNESCO, a curriculum should be reviewed every 5 years due to the rapid global
changes. UNESCO further notes that the Key indicators of curriculum success include; the
quality of the learning achieved by students, and how effectively students use that learning for
their personal, social, physical, cognitive, moral, psychological and emotional development. The
new curriculum emphasises knowledge, application and behavioural change based on a clear set
of values which must be developed in the learners during the learning process. At the centre of
the curriculum are generic skills and values which cut across all the subjects on the curriculum.
The generic skills emphasised are critical thinking and problem-solving, cooperation and self-
directed Learning, creativity and innovation, mathematical computations and ICT proficiency
and Communication.
The values in the curriculum are adopted from the National Ethics and Values Policy (2013).
These include; Respect for humanity and environment, Honesty; uphold and defend the truth at
all times, Justice and fairness in dealing with others, Hard work for self – reliance, Integrity;
moral uprightness and sound character, Creativity and innovativeness, Social Responsibility,
Social Harmony, National Unity and National Consciousness and patriotism.
There are cross-cutting issues that are embedded across all the subjects to enable learners to
understand the connections between the subjects and complexities of life.
3.0 The Benefits of the New Curriculum
The new curriculum aims at “A holistic Education for Personal and National Development.” The
review, therefore, envisions to produce a secondary school graduate with employable skills that
are competitive in the job market. By the end of the educational process, the learner is expected
to become a: self-assured individuals, responsible and Patriotic citizens, lifelong learners and
positive contributors to society. It is postulated that the reviewed curriculum will:
1. Promote effective learning and acquisition of skills by developing a curriculum that builds
meta-cognitive abilities and skills so that individuals are better placed to adapt to their evolving
roles in society and the dynamic workplace.
2. Reduce subject and content overload.
3. Address the needs of all students and lay a foundation for improved pedagogy and assessment
procedures that allow learners to realise their full potential more effectively.
4. Address the social and economic needs of the country by meeting the educational needs of the
learners aspiring for higher academic learning as well as those that wish to transit to the labour
market.
5. Allow flexibility to absorb emerging fields of knowledge in the areas of Science and
Technology.
6. Address the 21st-century skills required in the world of work.
7. Address issues of wastage with regard to utilization of resources (teachers, school
facilities/space, and instructional materials) so as to ensure efficiency.

Chronology of the activities prior to the roll-out of the curriculum

2016: – Consultations on the proposed curriculum were held and the guidance led to the total
overhaul of the curriculum from learning areas to subjects. Moses was guided to revert to the
subject-based curriculum but maintain the principles which had guided the reform. The guidance
was also given to conduct key stakeholder engagements on the framework before finalization of
the development process. As a follow up of this guidance, NCDC embarked on the following
activities;
Dec 2017: – A stakeholders’ engagement was held with University Vice Chancellors to discuss
the curriculum framework, the curriculum menu and the core subjects at Senior 1&2 and Senior
3&4.
Jan 2018: – Held a stakeholder’s workshop with; Deans of Education and Science from various
universities, regional executive members of the Association of Secondary School Headteachers
of Uganda, members from the geography association of Uganda and members from the historical
association of Uganda. As a result of the consultations, a curriculum menu of 21 subjects was
proposed as follows:
1. English Language
2. Literature in English
3. Mathematics
4. Biology
5. Chemistry
6. Physics
7. Geography
8. History and Political Education
9. Foreign Languages (French, German, Arabic, Latin, Chinese)
10. Local Languages//sign language
11. Kiswahili
12. Art and Design
13. Religious Education (IRE and CRE)
14. Performing Arts
15. Agriculture
16. Nutrition and Food Technology
17. Entrepreneurship
18. Physical Education
19. Information Communication and Technology (ICT) Skills
20. Technology and Design
21. General Science (for learners with special learning needs)
Justification for the composition of the above Curriculum Menu

 The proposed Curriculum Framework is broad-based with a variety of subjects to enable

the learner to explore his/her potential and interests as a basis for choosing subjects according to
future careers.

 The Framework also aims at addressing issues of inclusiveness and flexibility so as to

allow learners to have a range of subjects from which to choose.

 The menu aims at feeding into the Skilling Uganda Strategy by having workplace skills
integrated into the various subjects.

 It provides for the teaching of skills-based or pre-vocational subjects such as Agriculture,
Nutrition and Food Technology and Technology and Design
April 2018: – The MoES presented the curriculum menu to H.E The President of the Republic of
Uganda, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. He agreed with the reorganization of the design of the
lower secondary curriculum. He guided on the 20 subject curriculum menu and asked the sector
to prepare it in preparation for a nationwide rollout in 2020.
August 2018: – The Centre hosted honourable members of Parliament of the Committee on
Education and Sports. The purpose of the visit was to familiarise themselves with what NCDC
does but specifically to establish how far NCDC had gone with the lower secondary curriculum
reform. NCDC presented a paper to the members on the Lower Secondary Curriculum and
NCDC at large.
Members of Parliament noted that the budget for implementing the LSC was big, and needed
government intervention if the curriculum was to be rolled out in 2020. Members further advised
that it was not necessary to have front runner schools as had been planned but expressed the need
for government to provide the required funds for a nationwide rollout.
They were concerned about the rising unemployment among youths in Uganda which they
largely attributed to a predominantly theoretical national curriculum and they wanted to know
what steps NCDC was taking to address this concern. In response, the members were informed
that there are numerous contributing factors including the nature of the curriculum and that the
Centre was shifting away from purely theoretical to a competence-based curriculum which
emphasizes skills development.
Prior to this visit, the Hon. Members had received a presentation on the lower secondary
curriculum from NCDC in 2016 at Esella Country Hotel.
December 2018:- NCDC presented the lower secondary curriculum to the Hon. Members of
Parliament on the committee of Education and Sports.
February 2019: – The Director NCDC was required by the Minister to present the intention to
roll out the curriculum and the budgetary implications to His Excellency the President of Uganda
at Kyankwanzi.
June 2019: – NCDC presented a brief on the new Lower Secondary Curriculum and the
approved lower secondary curriculum materials to the Education Sector Consultative Committee
(ESCC).
October 2018: – NCDC Sensitised members of the Uganda Secondary Head Teachers
Association (ASSHU) on the new lower secondary curriculum in Mbale.
September 2019:- The MoES presented the lower secondary curriculum to ASSHU members in
Muni Arua.
October 2019: – The MoES presented the progress of the new lower secondary curriculum to the
forum for Permanent Secretaries.
December 2019:- An awareness meeting was held with UNATU Executive on the new
curriculum.
Benchmarks with other countries and Uganda Based Schools
A number of benchmarks were conducted both in Africa and in other parts of the world to
borrow best practices on what could work in Uganda. Among these included; Ghana, Singapore,
Botswana, Turkey, Kenya and Finland Schools visited included Amazima Schools and Vine
International School Kungu.
Changes in the lower secondary curriculum
i. Curriculum Design: A competence-based design has been adopted with an underlying
approach of having the learner at the centre of learning. The curriculum is outcome-based with
an emphasis on values, attitudes and 21st-century skills. Each topic has a competency (what the
learner is able to do after learning); learning outcomes (what to learn or content to be learnt);
suggested learning activities (how to learn that is in pairs, individually, in a group or as a class);
and assessment activities (how to know that learning has taken place using approaches like
observation, talking to the learner and asking for a product from the learner).
The Key Learning Outcomes of the curriculum set out clearly the qualities that young people
will develop. By the end of the educational process, young people are expected to become: self-
assured individuals, responsible and Patriotic citizens, lifelong learners and positive contributors
to society. At the centre of the curriculum are generic skills and values which cut across all the
subjects on the curriculum.
The generic skills emphasised are critical thinking and problem-solving, cooperation and self-
directed Learning, creativity and innovation, mathematical computations and ICT proficiency
and Communication.
The values in the curriculum are adopted from the National Ethics and Values Policy (2013).
These include; Respect for humanity and environment, Honesty; uphold and defend the truth at
all times, Justice and fairness in dealing with others, Hard work for self – reliance, Integrity;
moral uprightness and sound character, Creativity and innovativeness, Social Responsibility,
Social Harmony, National Unity and National Consciousness and patriotism.
ii. Subject menu: The number of Subjects on the menu has reduced from 43 to (The 21 teaching
subject syllabus), in the curriculum framework from which a school is expected to offer 12
subjects at senior 1 and 2, out of which 11 are compulsory while 1 is an elective. At Senior 3 and
4, a learner is expected to exit with a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 9 subjects.
Kiswahili, Entrepreneurship, Religious Education and Physical Education are compulsory for
learners at senior 1 and 2.
iii. Subject content: Has been reduced and integrated based on relevance, societal needs, and
national goals. Obsolete knowledge has been gotten rid of. The new curriculum presents content
in activity form emphasising both the activities for the teacher and learner in learning a given
concept. This is meant to discourage rote learning and cramming of concepts which is the
practice currently.
The new curriculum stresses imparting values, attitudes and generic skills in the learners. These
have been embedded in the designed activities and proposed methodologies to be used by the
teacher.
Cross-cutting issues such as climate change, patriotism, human rights, peace education and
others have been integrated into the various subjects.
ICT is to be used both as a pedagogical tool for learning and also as a subject. Its use as a
pedagogical tool has been integrated into the learning activities in the syllabus documents.
It has embraced inclusive education by providing for learners’ needs in the curriculum. For
instance, the gifted children will be exposed to higher-order thinking exercises while the slow
learners will benefit from the gifted learners through peer learning because of the interactive
nature of the curriculum. Learners with special educational needs who are unable to do the
science subjects will take General Science instead.
It further emphasises the integration of knowledge across subjects and this will be achieved by
the integration of all the resources by the teacher during the assessment of a given topic.
iv. Approach/methodology: The teaching will be learner-centred and the teacher is a facilitator
of learning to mean that learners are expected to contribute to their learning with guidance from
the teacher. The curriculum further emphasises inquiry-based, collaborative and problem-solving
methodologies.
v. Time Table: Classroom teaching has reduced to 5 hours a day. Lessons will start at 8.30 am
and end at 2.55 pm, which will allow learners an experiential learning supervised by the teacher
where they engage in research, project work, clubs, games and sports and have time for self-
study and reflection on what has been taught, for 1hour and 40 minutes to end at 4.30 pm.
vi. Assessment: The current teaching and assessment are examination driven focusing on
acquiring a high-grade pass as opposed to reasoning, critical analysis, understanding and
acquisition of skills and knowledge. The assessment modalities have been revisited in
collaboration with UNEB and DIT to focus on both formative and summative assessment as
opposed to the current curriculum which considers only summative.
Emphasis is on:
(i) On assessing the learners’ understanding, of key concepts in each subject not just their
knowledge;
(ii) Focusing on the learner’s ability to apply their knowledge in a range of situations;
(iii) On enabling the learner to demonstrate a selection of relevant generic skills;
(iv) Using a diversified range of assessment techniques like oral, written, performance, practical
skills demonstrations;
(v) Encouraging the development of learners’ abilities to reflect on their own learning and carry
out self-assessment.
The formative assessment scores will form part of the total learner score at the end of the cycle.
These have been agreed at 20% for formative assessment and 80% for summative.
The teacher is expected to observe the learner for any signs of acquired values, skills and change
in attitude and take a record of this in addition to assessing knowledge and understanding.
All these will be considered by the teacher during the learning process and reflected at the
compilation of the total formative assessment scores. Proper and detailed criteria guidelines on
how to manage assessment at the school level will be given to schools. The marks will be
captured throughout the 4 years averaged and computed into a score for each individual learner,
thereafter the results will be submitted to UNEB for the overall grading of the learner. 
The new curriculum allows interested learners to be subjected to the DIT examinations which are
skills-based (Nutrition and Food Technology, Entrepreneurship, Agriculture, ICT, Technology
and Design, Performing Arts, Art and Design and Physical Education) to allow them acquire a
competency certification of level 1 on the Uganda Vocational Qualification Framework (UVQF)
for the world of work.
Summative assessment of UNEB will be administered at the end of Senior 4. The end of cycle
UNEB results together with the results from the formative assessment will lead to the award of a
Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE). For both certifications, the learner has a chance to
progress to the next levels of education.

The rollout began in February 2020 with Senior One in all schools and will take a grade-wise
approach up to senior four.
The training of Senior One teachers is ongoing across the country. Four teachers (Sciences &
Maths, Humanities, Languages and Pre- vocational) plus the Director of Studies from each
school both private and public have been trained in 27 training centres. The trained teachers will
train others at the school level. After rolling out the new lower secondary curriculum,
Continuous Professional Development Programmes for teachers will be conducted at school
level and across the SESEMAT regional training centres during termly holidays.
The MoES will procure textbooks for learners of ‘O Level’ in a phased-out approach.
Continued initial training of teachers on the lower secondary curriculum will be conducted for
those teachers that have not yet been trained.
Training of School Administrators and District Education Officers, District Inspectors of
Schools, Members of the Board of Governors will be conducted to ensure effective
implementation of the reviewed curriculum.
Alignment of the University and National Teacher’s College Curricula to make it competence-
based.
Continuous sensitisation of the different stakeholders will be conducted using the media.
NCDC plans to review the Advanced Level curriculum in the next strategic planning period
commencing 2020/21 – 2025.26, to align it with the new lower secondary curriculum. Learners
who have studied the competence-based curriculum at the Ordinary level will be exposed to a
competence-based curriculum when they progress to ‘A-Level’