The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among has asked the Minister of State for Primary Education, Hon. Joyce Moriku Kaducu to present a paper explaining the new Competence Based Curriculum.

Speaker Among said the requirements for assessing students under the new curriculum requires deeper scrutiny.
“When students are doing exams they are supposed to do a technical exam, if someone wants to do swimming or computer assisted test how many schools are having swimming pools, how many have computers?” asked Among as she chaired the Plenary sitting on Wednesday, 16 October 2024.

The sitting considered a statement by Hon. Kaducu on World Teacher’s Day celebrated on 05 October 2024 under the theme; valuing teacher voices: towards social contract for education.

The new curriculum, said Speaker Among, Among demands a lot of funds on implementation.
“Why did you go for that if you knew it demands a lot of money, I have a school and when students were being examined one student said for me I am good in swimming, good enough I have a swimming pool, what about other schools in Kansanga, Kyotera, Gomba,” she said.

Kapchorwa Woman MP, Hon. Phyllis Chemutai said teachers in her district complain about the new curriculum being hard to learn and wondered what such teachers are imparting into students.

Hon Chemutai added that schools have not been provided with the resources required to implement the new competence based curriculum.
“Schools do not have the projects to use in teaching the new curriculum, some subjects require them to take students outside the school for learning yet no transport is provided,” she said.

Hon. Medard Sseggona (NUP, Busiro County East) criticized the move to implement the new curriculum in O’ Level before the curriculum for A’ level is ready. 
“I have been in a school in my constituency, students in O’ level are studying under the new curriculum yet just next year they will cross back to the old curriculum,” Sseggona said.
Legislators observed that the hastiness in implementation of the new curriculum is a critical issue that should be urgently addressed.

They asked Minister Kaducu to address conflicts among teachers due to discrepancy in salaries of sciences and arts teachers. 
“In my community teachers mentioned that some of their staff members who teach arts subjects no longer receive salaries, their ATM cards are held by science teachers who now give out loans due to their enhanced pay. As soon as salary is paid the science teachers take their money,” said Hon. Flavia Nabagabe Kalule (NUP, Kassanda District Woman MP).

The Shadow Attorney General, Hon. Wilfred Niwagaba asked the Minister to include in her forthcoming paper to Parliament, a response to allegations that many science teachers have applied for early retirement to enjoy their enhanced pension.

According to workers’ MP, Hon. Abdulhu Byakatonda, the salary discrepancies have demoralized teachers countrywide and asked that government steps up to effect the commitment to increase the remuneration for arts teachers.

MPs unanimously called on government to consider the welfare of teachers, looking at accommodation for staff, meals, and decent class rooms to enable learning.
“It is alarming that we still have schools where students study under the tree, for the teacher to teach under such environment without a chalkboard more over on a hungry stomach is not conducive for learning to take place,” said Hon. Margaret Makhoha (Indep., Namayingo District Woman MP).

The Minister pledged to present a paper on the new curriculum on Tuesday, 22 October 2024, saying the process for developing the desired competence based curriculum for A’ level is comprehensive and capital intensive.

Kaducu further said that the Ministry of Education and Sports in collaboration with the Teacher’s Union will celebrate the belated teachers’ day on Saturday 19 October 2024 at Lugogo Cricket Oval.
“Our government is committed to ensuring that teachers' welfare is continuously improved. We thank this House for continued support to our teachers; the President committed Shs2 billion for the private teachers and more money has been provided to teachers through the Microfinance Support Centre,” said Kaducu.