Teachers want a year added onto primary education cycle; classes to end at P.8

Teachers under their umbrella body, Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) have called for the amendment of the primary education cycle  to extend it by an additional year after primary seven.

Presenting the proposal  to the Education Policy Review Commission, UNATU General Secretary Filbert Baguma said that many learners start school when really young, hence primary level being the foundation base should be given more time.

“We have scenarios where children enter primary one at four years, those who go with their elder sisters and brothers, before you know it they are in P1 and in P7 they are 11 years,” Baguma said.

He said that the school systems should use lower primary to identify the areas of passion for learners, such that children have a enough time to determine what exactly their passion is and can specialise in it.

“Some learners have been called failures because they can not pass examinable subjects but they are very good in co-curricular activities. So by the time these learners leave P.8, they can do better in these areas of interest,” Baguma noted.

According to the  UNATU proposal, the education system should adopt three phases of primary school, which include a lower primary, a transitional primary and upper primary to clearly identify the strengths of the children.

UNATU also proposes that one more year be knocked off the secondary curriculum since it has already been compensated in the primary section.

Recently, educationists called  for a reduction of the primary education cycle from seven to six years.

The reason why we're suggesting a reduction of seven years to six years is that there is no evidence to show that the skills that can be acquired in seven years cannot be acquired in six years. There are examples of countries that have tried the six years of primary education including some countries in South Africa, you have next door in East Africa, Kenya - where things are pretty working. Of course, every context is different," said Uwezo Country Director, Dr. Mary Goretti  Nakabugo while appearing before  Education Policy Review Commission which is currently collecting ideas that will be used to overhaul the education system.

Uwezo noted that the current primary education cycle ensures alot of time is wasted in some classes and revision of courses which could be avoided by reduction on the cycle to six years.