Several schools across the country are struggling to implement the new curriculum amidst inadequate instructional materials.
Last year, the Ministry of Education dispatched materials to secondary schools to aid in the teaching and learning process. These materials included: Text Books, Teachers’ Guides for various subjects offered by the schools, workbooks for learners, and other skills-based materials for the new curriculum.
In Madi Okollo District, Ismail Drabe the Secretary for Social Services says that no instructional materials have been received in the three secondary schools in the district.
In Logiri Girls SS in Arua District Seraphine Ajionji, the Director of Studies said they received inadequate instructional materials.
“We received some Instructional Materials for the new curriculum but more than five subjects are missing on the list of the materials sent to us,” said Seraphine.
In Entebbe, Sarah Monica Nabirye, the Entebbe Municipal Education Officer says the education ministry has distributed instructional materials for implementation of the new curriculum in Senior one and Senior two to all the 14 secondary schools in the Municipality including the government-aided Entebbe SS, Air force Secondary School, and Entebbe Comprehensive SS.
George Stephen Mukasa, the Headteacher of Entebbe Comprehensive SS, says the school received the materials last week. But he adds that the materials are inadequate since they are provided for at least 150 students per class.
“We shall assess whether or not the materials are adequate by end of next week when most of the learners would have reported to the school,” said Mukasa.
Nathan Mpairwe, the Headteacher at Air Force Secondary School, says he is not also sure if the instructional materials received will be adequate for the expected one thousand students in both classes.
“We expect 500 students per class and received materials that cater for six of the 12 subjects and they cater for less than 100 students.”
Musa Muteganda, the Director of Studies at Green Stars High School, said “We received the materials on January 9 but they are not enough because each student must own a workbook for each of the 12 subjects,” Muteganda said.
In Greater Masaka, a number of private school headteachers are struggling with the implementation of lower secondary schools’ curriculum in the absence of instructional materials. Although the Ministry of Education had provided the schools with teaching guides and students’ books to support the rolling of the curriculum, the headteachers indicate that the materials were not enough.
Jimmy Mugerwa, the Deputy headteacher of Exodus Vocation Secondary School in Nyendo, Masaka City says the Ministry sent them few instructional materials which can hardly support effective teaching. With a student population of 200 in senior two, the school received 30 books for Geography, 25 for Mathematics, 17 for biology, and some subjects were not catered for.
Daniel Isiko, the Headteacher at Notre Dame High School located in Nyendo-Mukungwe Division, Masaka City indicates that besides having insufficient materials, the Ministry of Education sent him guides of subjects he does not offer, blaming it on poor coordination between the stakeholders. He argues, with the resumption of classes after a long lockdown period, schools do not have money to procure the materials using their own resources.
In Sironko district, the headteachers say they are yet to receive any instructional materials. Sulai Wamanga the Township Primary School Head Teacher Sironko, said that they are using old materials delivered during the lockdown. He said the school is also struggling to implement an abridged curriculum because of the lack of materials.
Senior One and Two Classes are expected to start the academic year with full implementation of the new curriculum and the inadequate supply of these materials to several schools there are fears that it may negatively affect its implementation and expected outcome.
