Comprehensive Evaluation of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) Programme: Efficacy of the Primary School Curriculum in Supporting the Realization of UPE

Abstract

An adequate and efficiently implemented primary school curriculum is a foundation for attainment of the UPE outcomes. It is at the primary level that the capacity to learn, to read and use math, to acquire information, and to think critically about that information are developed the current Uganda’s Primary Education Curriculum has gone through a series of reforms aimed at improving the quality of children’s learning in primary schools. e most recent reform commenced in 2007 and was concluded in 2012. Despite the recent review of the primary school curriculum, there have been reports doubting its relevance in facilitating the achievement of the UPE curriculum. This policy brief gives highlights of the findings and policy advice from the main assessment of the efficacy of the Primary School Curriculum in Supporting the Realization of UPE Policy Objectives, which was one of the six thematic areas of the independent comprehensive evaluation of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) Policy undertaken by the National Planning Authority. It was found that: (i) the current primary school curriculum is relevant and adequate, however, its implementation fails the realization of the intended UPE objectives (ii) there is a policy disconnect between curriculum development and the approval of textbooks and non-textbook materials (iii) the current assessment (in school and by UNEB) impedes the implementation of the curriculum as teaching is narrowed to only examinable subjects. It is recommended that: a curriculum and assessment policy be developed by the MoES to synchronize assessment and curriculum implementation; teachers should be trained on the practicum of implementing the curriculum as intended and; the role to approve the list of vetted textbooks to be procured should revert to NCDC.