By
Fahad Muganga
Wilson Ssabavuma, a curriculum specialist at the Directorate of the National Curriculum Development Center (NCDC), has commended students from Makerere University’s College of Education and External Studies (CEES) for their innovative contributions to teacher training.
These innovations aim to transform the teaching workforce into a competent labor force.
Ssabavuma made these remarks during the Open Day and Skills Expo organized by CEES students. He was representing the NCDC director, Dr. Grace K. Baguma, who served as the guest of honor.
He noted that the rollout of the new curriculum posed challenges not only for students but also for teachers, necessitating support from higher education institutions to facilitate its adoption.
“You will agree me that all of us gathered here wet through the old curriculum and since secondary education was introduced in Uganda, it is the first time Uganda is having major reforms in education after raising that we cannot dodge the way of change that is taking place all over the world and to make sure that we remain relevant to the local and global economies, we must definitely transform our education,” he added
“Since we realized that the only way to produce a competent based work force will be through revolutionizing education. We started on it as early as 2011 to revise the competence-based curriculum and rolled it out in 2020 for O level, and this year we have done the same to the A level.” Added Ssabavuma
Several students from the college of Education and External Studies-CEES have showcased different innovations that can be used to train learners in the new competence-based curriculum that has been rolled out across different levels of learning.
One such innovator, Oliver Anyango, developed a model explaining different types of unemployment. Her innovation outlines the concept of unemployment, including structural and cyclical unemployment, and identifies their causes, effects on individuals and society, and potential solutions.
She believes that such a model, if adopted, can provide a solution-oriented approach by clearly identifying problems, their causes, and corresponding remedies.
Speaking at the expo, Dr. Muhammad Kiggundu, the Acting Principal of CEES, said “We are working with NCDC, and we want to that you our chief guest for the workshops you have organized to train our trainers because if trainers are not trained, it becomes very difficult for those students who are going to come out of here,” He added
“The college of education is ready to move into the new direction and as we speak workshops and training are underway at the college of education and external studies to train our lecturers as to how they can address the new issues.” Added Dr. Kiggundu
Dr Kiggundu further re-echoed CEES’ intention to prepare its students with the necessary skills to go out and fit in the education sector which is evolving with the evolving trends in the world.
On his part, Professor Robert Wamala, acting Director, Directorate of Research, Innovation and Partnerships at Makerere university who also represented the Vice Chancellor, professor Barnabas Nawangwe said; This aligns perfectly with our vision of producing graduates who are not only knowledgeable but also fit for purpose in the ever-evolving job market, not only in Uganda bit also in the entire globe,”
“I must emphasize that there are changing demands in education that go beyond theoretical instructions and indeed require practical and hands-on experiences.” He added