Dr Birungi says overlapping and repeated content has been merged and irrelevant content dropped because the curriculum was content heavy, sometimes beyond the capacity that O'level students could handle. Dr Birungi says the content in the new curriculum will be commiserating to the age level of students.
President Museveni last week gave a nod to the new O'level curriculum. Salient changes in the new curriculum include merging subjects such as Principles of Accounts and Commerce into Entrepreneurship while Technical Drawing, Wood Work and Metal Work have been merged into the newly-introduced subject - Technology and Design.
The number of O-Level subjects has been reduced to 20 from 32. The approved subjects include; English language, Mathematics, Geography, History, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Religious Education, Entrepreneurship, Foreign Languages, Local Languages, Kiswahili, Information Communication and Technology, Nutrition and Food Technology, Technology and Design, Performing Arts (Music, Dance and Drama), Fine Art, Physical Education, Agriculture and Literature in English.
Dr Birungi says the new curriculum will bring a huge relief to O'level learners who are young and still growing. There is no reason, she argued why these children should be given too much content.
She says the new curriculum does not mean current teachers will be dropped and new ones hired. The current teachers will go through rigorous training in the next two years before a new curriculum is rolled out in 2020.
Dr Birungi says there will be no back and forth movements in the new curriculum development since it has been approved by the president. The president had rejected an earlier curriculum in December 2016. She said NCDC got good advice in 2016 which helped them in the revision of the curriculum that has been accepted.
A continuous competence assessment based on skills attained in subjects taught from Senior One to four has also been introduced in the new curriculum. The continuous assessment will account for 20 percent of the O-Level final score at senior four.
Dr Birungi made the remarks at Uganda Media Centre today while addressing journalists on the revival of African Curriculum Organisation conference which will be hosted by Uganda from 28th to 31st. The conference will bring together and unite continental curriculum experts in a bid to improve education in Africa and share good practices.