“The commission, which was tasked with providing macro policy direction for the education sector, spent much of its time addressing peripheral issues rather than focusing on the core problems,” said several members who spoke with our reporter.One member mentioned that the lack of clear and cohesive direction at the outset led to confusion and a lack of consensus on key issues. "A lot of time was spent on matters that weren’t central to the real challenges facing the education sector," they said.
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Charles Peter Mayiga, the Katikkiro of Buganda, Descends the Stairs with Commission Chairperson Nuwe Amanya Mushega
The much-anticipated Mushega Education policy review Commission report, detailing 284 recommendations to overhaul Uganda's education system, has been officially released. However, as the report makes headlines, some members of the commission are not contented with the way the process was handled.While the commission's findings have sparked conversations and public excitement across the country, with many welcoming some of the proposed reforms, there are commissioners who feel that the commission did not provide clear guidance from the outset.
“The commission, which was tasked with providing macro policy direction for the education sector, spent much of its time addressing peripheral issues rather than focusing on the core problems,” said several members who spoke with our reporter.One member mentioned that the lack of clear and cohesive direction at the outset led to confusion and a lack of consensus on key issues. "A lot of time was spent on matters that weren’t central to the real challenges facing the education sector," they said. "Yes, these issues affect the sector, but are they truly macro issues? If we focus on these smaller concerns without addressing the core policy issues, we’ll just be treating symptoms.
"The approach to consultations also raised concerns. Some critical voices within the commission questioned the effectiveness of the process. For example, while Mushega aimed to engage as many people as possible across Uganda, visiting 13 out of 16 sub-regions over four years, one commissioner noted that many people in the field were simply voicing local education issues without offering policy-level solutions.Those who spoke to our reporter expressed hope that, at the stage of reviewing the commission's recommendations, the committee—soon to be established by the Ministry—would thoroughly sift through the report and ensure that only the most impactful suggestions are considered in the final white paper.Despite these concerns, the report presents significant recommendations.
In its 286-page document, the commission outlines bold reforms across 13 key areas of education, covering structure, governance, and financing. It also sets out seven objectives aimed at developing well-rounded individuals with strong literacy, numeracy, life and digital skills, while fostering national unity and cultural preservation. “The Commission notes that emphasis should be placed on consolidating quantitative issues while focusing on attaining high-quality education. Therefore, to achieve the intended goals and objectives of the Education and Sports sector,” the commission’s report reads in part.Key recommendations include a major overhaul of the education structure.
The current 7-4-2-4 system, where students spend seven years in primary school, four years in secondary school, two years in 'A' level, and three years at university, would shift to a new 1-6-4-2-3 structure. Under this reform, primary school would be reduced from seven to six years, with a new compulsory year of pre-primary education added.The 1992 government White Paper on education had suggested changing the education structure to give eight years at primary (P.1 to P.8), reduce the time at O’ Level to three years (S.1 to S.3), two for A ‘level (S.4 and S.5) before a learner moves to an institution of higher learning.
According to the white paper, having more years at the primary level was intended to increase the age at which one is expected to leave this level of education and allow sufficient time for learning vocational subjects which were to be introduced at the primary level. However, 35 years later, P.8 was never introduced. Appearing before the commission, Uganda national teacher union wanted this proposal to be given fresh life. Dr. Mary Goretti Nakabugo, the Uwezo Country Coordinator, said that available data and experience from other countries suggest that six years are sufficient for the primary cycle.
Dr. Nakabugo who is also a renowned educationist pointed out that in the current primary school cycle much time in some classes is wasted in the revision of previous courses which can be avoided with the system concentrating on the learning outcomes that are expected from the primary school leavers. The new proposed structure, if adopted, will not be unique to Uganda as most of the countries have been adapting the same. in the region, kenya is the nmost recent country to have adopted the same. hearing that her proposal was picked up,
Dr. Nakabugo, rather cautioned that the transition to the new system should be carefully managed to avoid disruption. She also praised the inclusion of compulsory pre-primary education, which she deemed long overdue.Dr. Joseph Muvawala, the Deputy Chairperson of the commission and Executive Director of the National Planning Authority (NPA), was a strong supporter of the idea saying that learning outcomes should take precedence over the number of years spent at a certain educational level.
“If a learner can achieve the competencies that we need out of a primary school level. To me, spending less time there than we currently do wouldn’t be a problem. the time we should choose should be on what levels of learning we want,” Muvawala in one of the public hearing meetings.
With number of years at primary reduced, the commission recommended a compulsory and free one year of pre-primary. this was another idea thsat was fronted nearly by all people who visted the commission.Unlike the current structure, the proposed reform would integrate education from pre-primary to senior four into a single unified level- basic education. This change would also mean the scrapping of the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), which currently serves as the transition point from primary to secondary education.
“The Commission notes that implementing a Universal Compulsory Basic Education cycle, that is uninterrupted by phasing out PLE, and criminalizing non-enrolment of school-age children will improve enrolment and school life expectancy, ensuring that every Ugandan who enrols at the pre-primary level stays in school unconditionally to complete a full cycle of Basic Education,” the reports reads in part. The report outlines that the idea of phasing out the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) was first introduced by the World Bank, as mentioned in the 13th Edition of the Uganda Economic Update report.
This proposal was recently re-emphasized by the National Planning Authority (NPA), which has called for the elimination of the PLE by 2027.Under this proposed reform, once the PLE is phased out, the first national assessment will be conducted at the end of the Basic Education cycle. The new certification will be called the "Uganda Certificate of Basic Education & Training (UCBET)." This means that, if approved, students who complete the six-year primary cycle will automatically transition to Senior One (S1) and will have fully completed Basic Education.
“Before the first national assessment, continuous assessments will be conducted throughout the system to evaluate learners’ progressive achievement of defined competence milestones at each stage of their Basic Education journey, signifying their readiness for the next phase of education. This process ensures a systematic and competence-based approach to evaluating and certifying educational progress,” the commission noted.
However, Dr. Nakabugo has emphasized that this shift will require significant preparation, particularly for teachers. Training and adjustment to the new assessment methods will be crucial for the success of this reform.To make learning more relevant, they also recommended, incorporation of career exploration modules into the Basic Education curriculum. Such modules should offer broad overviews of Uganda’s key industry sectors—from agriculture, and service, to manufacturing through site visits, entrepreneurial clubs, science projects, and mentorship programs.
The commission also recommended merging the Uganda national Examinations Board and other assessment bodies with the National Curriculum Development Centre, creating a unified entity called the National Curriculum and Assessment (NCA).The report also called for strengthening parental involvement in children's education. It recommended implementing comprehensive programs that actively engage parents by offering workshops, fostering parent-teacher partnerships, and conducting awareness campaigns.
“These initiatives should equip parents with the skills and knowledge to support their children’s learning, provide access to educational resources, and cultivate a community culture that values collaboration between families and educational institutions,” the report emphasized.Now that the recommendations have been presented, it remains to be seen how quickly they will be adopted and whether the necessary political will exists to implement the changes required to reform Uganda’s education system.
Looking back, the 1992 Government White Paper on Education, which served as the foundation for education policy reforms, had an implementation rate of less than 50%. Of the 220 recommendations made, only 38% were fully implemented, 26% were partially executed, and 36% were left completely unaddressed.
Background.
Regular reviews of education policies are essential to ensure that educational systems remain relevant and effective. During the colonial era, education policy reviews typically took place every ten years. Key reports from that time include: The Phelps Stokes Commission Report (1924-25), The Report of Lord De La Warr’s Educational Commission (1937),
The Thomas Education Committee of 1940, The Binns Study Group Report (1951), and The Bernard De Bunsen Education Committee (1953).After Uganda gained independence, education reviews continued to ensure ongoing improvements. In 1963, the Castle Commission was formed to examine how Uganda’s education system could be best adapted to the country’s needs.
This was driven by the realization that the existing system was designed to produce skilled workers for the colonial economy, rather than skilled Africans for Uganda's own needs.The Castle Commission's recommendations included the merger of primary and junior secondary schools to offer more comprehensive basic education to all students. These recommendations guided Uganda's education system until 1977, with a major focus on expanding secondary schools, many of which were built on land owned by religious bodies.
In 1977, another education policy review commission was established under the chairmanship of Prof. William Senteza Kajubi. However, due to the liberation war from 1977 to 1979, the report was never officially published nor its recommendations implemented.Prof. Kajubi later led the renowned Kajubi Education Review Commission of 1989, which produced the 1992 Government White Paper on Education. Despite its impact, it took nearly three decades before another review of the system took place.
