The National Curriculum Development Centre NCDC has proposed scrapping of 23 subjects from the O’level curriculum. This means only 20 subjects shall be studied at Ordinary level.
The development was communicated by Grace Baguma, the executive Director NCDC. She explains that the move aims at giving students subjects that will develop their competencies in technology, problem solving, communication, analysis, team work, creative thinking, and synthesis.
Currently, there are 43 subjects suited at ordinary level. According to Baguma, the content of dropped subjects will be merged with the remaining 20.
Some of the affected subjects include: Electronics, Commerce, Music, Political Education, Power, Energy, Health science, Electricity, Shorthand, Typing, Woodwork and Additional Mathematics.
Others are; Metal work, Office practice, Fasihi ya Kiswahili, principals of accounts, building and construction among others.
This comes at a time when President Yoweri Museveni continues to ask for some university courses to be dropped, claiming they do not add value to education of Uganda.
He has been campaigning for practical science courses. But many a people will argue that most of the subjects to be dropped from ordinary level curriculum are practical.
According to Samuel, a trader in Kansanga market whose son is offering electricity, dropping the subject would lead to unemployment of many youths. Samuel tells us that his son helps neighbors with electrical problems in exchange for a small amount of money that contributes to his school fees.
Annet, a typist at a printing shop, says she dropped out of school after s.4, but the typing lessons she had, helped her start a small shop, from where she earns a living. Annet is against the move.
But, NCDC’s Baguma explains that the current curriculum is overloaded.
The 20 remaining subjects are; ICT, Fine art, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English language, CRE, Swahili, Foreign language, Literature in English, General Science for people with special needs, Geography, History, Physical education, Technical drawing, Home economics, Agriculture, Entrepreneurship, and Local language.
