education 13 March 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Rushed New Curriculum Blamed for Poor UACE Performance Among Special Needs Students
Learners with special needs showed low performance in the 2025 UACE exams, with only a fraction achieving principal passes amid a total of 540 candidates. Critics point to the hasty rollout of the new curriculum, lack of consultation, and inadequate teacher training as key factors. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/uace-rushed-implemantation-of-new-curriculum-blamed-for-low-special-interest-learners-performance-5390382
The Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) reported disappointing results for special needs education (SNE) candidates in the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) exams.
Out of 540 SNE candidates—274 males and 266 females—96 secured three principal passes, 37 got two, and 47 achieved one. Additionally, 31 obtained subsidiary passes, while eight failed and two absented themselves.
Most candidates (58.7%) fell under the ‘others’ category, including those with asthma, receiving only extra exam time. About 49.6% attained at least one principal pass. Special needs encompass visual, hearing and physical impairments, dyslexia, epilepsy, sickle cell anaemia, and accident-related conditions.
Overall, 166,400 candidates registered for 2025 UACE, up 17.2% from 141,996 in 2024, with 56.3% males and 43.7% females.
Education Minister Janet Kataha Museveni highlighted ongoing UACE curriculum reforms by the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC). She noted removal of excess content, elimination of duplications, and alignment with Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) teaching methods for smoother transitions.
“NCDC will complete the UACE reform, replicating UCE successes,” she stated, drawing lessons from UCE implementation to avoid risks.
NUDIPU CEO Esther Kyozira blamed the poor showing on the rushed curriculum rollout. “We were overlooked in design, familiar subjects were dropped, and special needs teachers lacked training,” she said.
Kyozira urged NCDC to prioritize special needs learners in future curriculum development.
Source: Daily Monitor