A review of recent education assessments, including Uganda National Examinations Board-UNEB’s reports, highlights a consistent trend: learners continue to struggle in fundamental areas of education. Critical thinking, problem-solving, and applying knowledge to practical situations are among the skills where students fall short. These gaps are not easily visible in the overall pass rates, yet they have significant implications for the quality of education in the country.
The excitement surrounding
improved exam results, with more children passing each year, masks a deeper
issue. The pass rates are rising, and more students are sitting for the exams,
but the critical question remains: are these students truly grasping the
necessary skills and competencies needed for real-world success?
A review of recent education
assessments, including Uganda National Examinations Board-UNEB’s reports,
highlights a consistent trend: learners continue to struggle in fundamental
areas of education.
Critical thinking,
problem-solving, and applying knowledge to practical situations are among the
skills where students fall short. These gaps are not easily visible in the
overall pass rates, yet they have significant implications for the quality of
education in the country.
For example, while releasing 2024 PLE results, Dan Odobgo, the UNEB Education Officer, highlighted these
areas, noting that even learners in higher ability categories struggle and lack
competence in these skills.
“The
candidates (including those in the Higher ability categories) had difficulty in
the following learning areas; Solving word problems...Explain...Interpreting
and representing information...applying... Writing a composition with a correct
structure... Describing how to,” an excerpt from the statement by uneb reads in part. However, similar comments have been given over the years.
This
year, UNEB also provided the proficiency levels for learners in each subject.
However, in each subject, no more than 17.5% of students were ranked as being
able to remember or recall facts, demonstrate an understanding of those facts,
and apply them in problem-solving or new situations. This implies that 82.5%,
or over 648,760 of the 786,981 candidates who sat the exams, are lacking in
these critical areas.
Every
year, UNEB releases a document titled PLE Report on the Work of Candidates,
which analyzes students' performance question by question across each subject.
The report details how learners answered the exam questions and highlights the
competencies they may have missed. This document is intended to help teachers
identify gaps in student’s knowledge and the skills they lack, allowing them to
focus on these areas when teaching learners at all levels of education.
However,
many teachers do not engage with this report. In a discussion with teachers
from three schools in Kawempe Division, it was found that only one out of ten
had ever heard of the report. The teacher remarked, “The headteacher brought it
up once, but it was only shared with the Primary Seven teacher.”
Commenting
on the issue, Sam Mbangire, the Nakasongola District Education Officer, placed
the blame squarely on teachers. As the saying goes, "You can't give what
you don’t have," Mbangire pointed out that learners struggle in several
areas because teachers are unable to effectively transfer the required
competencies and concepts, coupled with their failure to complete the syllabus.
This leaves learners unprepared and at a disadvantage.
Mbangire
further added that even when syllabi are completed, many teachers,
especially in rural areas, still rely on outdated teaching methods that fail to
engage students effectively. He said that learners could gain a much
deeper understanding of the required competencies if they had more practical
lessons. Unfortunately, the reality in many schools is that instruction remains
largely based on rote learning.
Additionally,
Mbangire highlighted the inadequate assessment of key concepts and
competencies, which prevents students from fully practising and grasping what
they have learned. To address these challenges, Mbangire said that schools need to share
UNEB's feedback with all teachers.
According
to him, goes hand in hand with the implementation of refresher courses on better
teaching methods to ensure that learners master all the essential subjects and
competencies. the education officers
noted that this is what they are going to do in Nakaseke district.
//Cue in: “We are going…
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Dr.
Tony Mukasa Lusambu, a retired educationist, cautioned that before the nation
celebrates the rising pass rates, it is crucial to address a more pressing
issue: the competencies of learners. He emphasized that, in the end, it is not
the marks students achieve that truly matter, but the skills they have
acquired.
"Without
a focus on competencies, even the highest academic marks become irrelevant in the
face of an ever-changing global landscape," he remarked.
Lusambu
further stressed that education must fulfil its broader objectives. As a
nation, and as parents, the goal should be to equip learners with the
competencies necessary to thrive in the workforce—skills that enable them to
solve problems, innovate, adapt to challenges, and make meaningful
contributions to society.
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in; “At the end...
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out...very unfortunate.”//
Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga, the principal College of Education and External Studies at Makerere University, shares
similar concerns about the low competencies achieved by learners, calling for
urgent changes in the education system. He believes it is high time the system
shifts focus to prioritize competencies at every level of education.
For
primary education, Prof. Mugagga suggests that the drive for change should begin
with a review of how teachers are trained. He advocates for equipping teachers
with better teaching methods and assessment techniques, while also ensuring
that those currently in service receive continuous professional development in
these areas.
However,
Prof. Mugagga expressed concern about the funding and resources needed to
implement such changes. He pointed out that delivering an education system
focused on competencies would require significant resources, which are
currently lacking in schools. For instance, he questioned how teachers could undergo retooling when there is no budget for it, especially considering the already limited salaries they receive.
//Cue
in; “Whose is going...
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out...the implementation.”//
Dr.
Mary Goerti Nakabugo, Executive Director of Uwezo Uganda, also highlighted
similar concerns about the lack of competencies in learners. She noted that the
education system had traditionally focused on rote memorization, with an
emphasis on teaching methods centred around recall. This, she pointed out, has
been reflected in the results of various assessments over the years.
Dr. Nakabugo whose organization has long published the Are Our Children
Learning? focusing on learning
outcomes and competencies of the learner, acknowledged the improvements made by UNEB
in recent years, particularly in their assessment approach. She praised the
board for incorporating questions that require learners to demonstrate
competencies, rather than just recall facts.
As
an expert in assessment and an advocate for meaningful learning, Dr. Nakabugo
expressed particular appreciation for UNEB's inclusion of learners' proficiency
levels in the 2023 results. She believes that this shift in how performance is
evaluated could be a game-changer. “If teachers are made aware that this is
what the board is focusing on, they will have to adapt,” she said.
According
to Dr. Nakabugo, assessment plays a critical role in shaping what is taught in
classrooms. In Uganda, she added, if UNEB shifts its focus from recall-based
questions to more competency-based questions that require skills like
problem-solving, critical thinking, explanation, and application, schools will
be forced to adapt their teaching methods. She believes that schools, driven by
the desire to maintain high marks, will be compelled to prioritize the
development of these essential competencies in their students.
