The Spokesperson of the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), Jennifer Kalule-Musamba, has defended Uganda’s new lower secondary curriculum, saying it is designed to recognize diverse learner abilities rather than label students as failures based on a single examination.
This comes amid growing concerns from educators and stakeholders about the practicality of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), including limited instructional time, inadequate resources, and challenges in implementation.
Kalule explained that the curriculum aims to shift attitudes about academic performance and student capability.
“The spirit behind the new curriculum is that everyone has the ability to do something. It’s not right to say that because someone failed mathematics is a failure,” Kalule said.
According to her, the revised system places more weight on continuous evaluation conducted at school level, reducing over reliance on final examinations.
“It’s not fair for UNEB to come at the end after a 2-hour paper and dub someone a failure. That’s why we now have school-based assessments that factor into the final mark,” she noted.
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She urged teachers to actively guide parents and learners on how the new grading system works.
“We call upon teachers to use the opportunity whenever they have to explain to the parents and learners how the new grading system works,” Kalule noted.
She made the remarks on Tuesday, February 17th, 2026, during a discussion on national broadcast debate to assess the performance of the Competent-Based Curriculum (CBC).
Meanwhile, UNEB Chairperson Prof Celestino Obua during the official release of the UCE 2025 results said the board has significantly improved institutional capacity in managing the new curriculum compared to its inaugural year in 2024.
He credited the successful release of results to the dedication and professionalism of the board’s executive director and staff.
According to the study findings, learners trained under the CBC demonstrate stronger research skills and an increased ability to construct knowledge independently.
The competency-based curriculum, introduced nationally in February 2020, remains under public scrutiny as educators and parents continue adjusting to its assessment approach.
