Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Uganda Monitor
Published on 2024-03-26 10:55:55
The Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) has recently released sample exams for the new Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) competency-based assessment. Mr. Dan Odongo, the Executive Director of Uneb, announced on March 25 that this move is aimed at familiarizing both teachers and learners with the question format under the new Lower Secondary Curriculum.
The sample papers are accessible through the Uneb portal for all Uneb examination centers. Uneb will also distribute hardcopy booklets to schools without center numbers. These sample papers cover over 36 subjects across categories such as humanities, sciences, vocational studies, and languages.
In the humanities category, subjects like History, Geography, Christian Religious Education (CRE), and Islamic Religious Education (IRE) are included. The sciences category covers Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, and General Science for visually impaired students. Under vocational studies, subjects like Agriculture, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Design, Performing Arts, Nutrition and Food Technology, Physical Education, and Entrepreneurship will be assessed.
Students will also be evaluated in foreign and official languages, as well as local languages. The foreign languages to be assessed include Arabic, German, French, Latin, and Chinese, while the official languages are English and Kiswahili. The local languages category will include examinations in more than 10 languages like Luganda, Lusoga, Lumasaba, Runyoro-Rutoro, Runyankore-Rukiga, and more.
Mr. Odongo emphasized the importance of teachers familiarizing themselves with the sample papers, guiding learners, and creating similar scenarios and questions to expose students to a variety of test items. The government, through the Ministry of Education and the National Curriculum Development Centre, introduced the new Lower Secondary Curriculum in 2020.
It is believed that a competency-based curriculum allows students to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for success in modern society, preparing them to be effective citizens and equipping them for the workforce, self-employment, and higher education opportunities. The first cohort of students under the revised O-Level curriculum is expected to sit for UCE exams this year.
Mr. Filbert Baguma, the general secretary of the Uganda National Teachers’ Union, expressed that while the implementation may be challenging due to resource constraints, the introduction of the competency-based assessment is long overdue. He emphasized the importance of preparing students for mock exams by the second term and final exams by October.
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