BY MUZAFALUH KABUULWA
The Ministry of Education and Sports has begun distributing of 15.5million textbooks for the Revised Lower Secondary Curriculum (LSC) to over 4,500 secondary schools across the country.
The new curriculum, which was rolled out in 2020 is competency-based that focuses on developing students’ skills and knowledge for the workplace.
The textbooks, according to officials, are being distributed to schools in phases, with the first phase covering S.1 and S.2 and the second phase covering S.3 and S.4. The Ministry contracted suppliers who are set to roll out the distribution directly to each school which delivery is to be signed off by a responsible officer.
“13 suppliers are distributing the final batch of S.1 and S.2 textbooks making a total of the targeted 8.6 million copies for 19 subjects. 15 suppliers have also embarked on distribution of 6.9 million copies of S.3 and S.4 learner textbooks complete with Teachers’ Guides for the same Curriculum,” said Dr. Dennis Mugimba the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Education and Sports .
The government released the National Curriculum Framework in 2017, which gave a plan for the establishment of a new curriculum in 2022, which is now being implemented in schools across Uganda. It is more comprehensive and student-centered than the prior curriculum.
But many schools have always decried the lack of study material and well-researched pedagogy for the students who started the curriculum from their S.1.
Mr. Mugimba remarks that the government has spent a grand total of taxpayer 63.6bn to procure the textbooks and as well beef up the implementation of the Revised Lower Secondary School Curriculum.
However, with the issuance of the projected distribution, there have developed various complaints from individuals who claim their schools were not included on the list to receive the textbooks.
“But my school is not included on the list that is supposed to get. They claim that it’s not on the list, yet last year I was issued a licence. I have over 300 government students. So what can I do to be included ssebo. I’m at Mpanga Muslim SS, Butambala. EMIS NUMBER 101811. I have never received a single book.” Muhammad Kibalama akin to Mpanga Muslim SS claims.