Ugandan Teachers Grapple with CBC Implementation in Language Instruction

Secondary school educators are encountering substantial hurdles in adapting to Uganda’s Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC), particularly in language teaching. Teachers report struggling with overwhelming class sizes, often exceeding 100 students per lesson, which hinders personalized instruction and effective assessment of individual skills like reading, writing, and listening.

As the CBC aims to equip students with practical, real-life skills, educators find themselves under immense pressure from administrators and parents to ensure high academic results, especially in the crucial O-Level years. This pressure frequently leads teachers to revert to traditional teaching methods by Senior Three, prioritizing rote memorization and exam performance over the competency-based approach.

Specific challenges include difficulties in making certain aspects of the CBC, like summary writing, competence-based. Furthermore, a perceived lack of adequate emphasis on grammar within the CBC framework is a major concern. Teachers argue that a weak grammatical foundation prevents students from constructing meaningful sentences and communicating effectively.

For optional languages like French, declining student enrollment by Senior Three adds another layer of difficulty. Teachers must employ creative strategies to maintain learner interest while navigating time constraints and the need to ‘market’ the subject. The implementation is further complicated by an uneven distribution of resources, with some schools lacking basic ICT infrastructure, creating disparities in learning experiences.

These issues emerged during a workshop focused on enhancing teacher capacity for innovative foreign language instruction under the CBC, funded by the Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund. The government, through the Ministry of Education and Sports, has mandated a shift to the competency-based model since 2020, with Makerere University tasked to lead curriculum reform and teacher training. The push is for graduates to possess practical skills, innovation, and problem-solving abilities.

This article is based on reporting from the Daily Monitor.