Govt, Opposition clash over A'level teacher training readiness

KAMPALA - The Government has rejected claims that teachers are yet to be trained in the new A’level curriculum. Something that is threatening to scuttle the transition of students who recently sat for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE).

The revised curriculum is an abridged version of the existing one, shifting towards a competency-based, learner-centred approach. 

It emphasizes practical skills and critical thinking while retaining the same 29 subjects and subject combinations, with reductions in outdated or overlapping content to align with the new lower secondary curriculum.

The acting Leader of Opposition (LOP) Joseph Gonzaga Ssewungu (Kalungu West, NUP) hinted at this during plenary on March 6, 2025.

“We need to agree madam Prime Minister, this is factual. Training of A’level teachers is not yet done,” Ssewungu insinuated.

However, sports state minister Peter Ogwang (Ngariam county, NRM) disputed this, citing examples, where such activities have taken place.

“With due respect to my brother who is a shadow minister for education, he is aware that we trained teachers for A’level curriculum and I can confirm. Even within this side of Government, there are colleagues who even opened and closed some of these trainings which took place across the country. A case in point is honourable Victoria Rusoke here, she did it in the part of Rwenzori,” Ogwang affirmed.

“Is it in order to continue misleading this house that we as Ministry of Education and Sports have not trained these teachers?” he posed.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa advised Ssewungu to ask ministers to table evidence as opposed to disputing the entire thing.

“Mr. Speaker, let me repeat it the A’level curriculum for Senior Five as we talk now, was sent online to schools. It is very expensive for secondary schools to print it out for all teachers. I am repeating, A’level students who reported on Monday, the A’level teachers are meant to be trained for five days. Only five teachers go and roll it out for other teachers. It is not yet done. However we shall come back next week and disapprove each other,” Ssewungu insisted.