Senior four candidates have kicked off with writing the new lower curriculum exams, with Mathematics and Chemistry opening the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examination period.
Jennifer Kalule Nsamba, the Public Relations Officer at the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), told masses on a local television on Monday, October 14, 2024, that this year is unique because UNEB will be conducting two sets of UCE amidst a new curriculum and the old curriculum (transitional examination).
She added that the lower secondary curriculum education was enacted in 2021 just after the hard times of COVID-19 that struck a country in 2020, making a curriculum struggle for close to five years for students to sit for its first exam.
According to Nsamba, UNEB registered 379,620 students across a country for 2024, pioneering UCE. The board, however, warned stakeholders against getting involved in any form of examination malpractice.
’’ We as UNEB strongly warn Ugandans against involvement in any forms of examination malpractice or even facilitating it in any way, and dealing with fraudsters who are out there trying to trick members of the public to corn their money,’’ Nsamba said.
Read Also: UNEB to Examine New Lower Secondary Curriculum for First Time
John Enginyu, a teacher of Geography and History at Halcyon High School in Ochap Brooks Corner sub-county, Serere district, said that their secondary school registered 158 senior four students, with 74 boys and 84 girls sitting for a new curriculum exam.
’’We as a team committed ourselves to prepare, do mentoring students’ intellects by guiding them on this new curriculum, and instill students with intrinsic motivation to learning as key in life to overcome the challenging world,’’ Enginyu said.
Patrick Akeru, a Biology and Chemistry teacher, revealed that they did project work together with activities of integration for candidates that were required under the lower secondary curriculum and compiled all marks for all students, which they have sent to UNEB using the school portal.
’’As a school, we have taught our candidates and guided them to ensure they pass without any fear of the new curriculum, and we are sure that they will pass as evidenced by their commitment,’’ Akeru said.
The Uganda secondary new lower curriculum came as a twist to both students and parents who found it being unable to get textbooks for the new curriculum, lack of teaching materials, and issue of teacher training, which left students wondering on how to switch. Despite all this, it brought critical thinking, creativity, collaboration or teamwork, communication, information literacy, ICT, and flexibility, which have prepared students for exams.
