The National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) has finalised the new O’ level curriculum which will be launched in 2017.

The new curriculum has reduced the subjects taught in lower secondary form 43 to 8 core learning areas. The new curriculum replaces the term ‘subjects’ with ‘learning areas’

Learning areas include Creative Arts, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education, Social Studies, Technology and Enterprise, Life education, and Languages.  While Kiswahili and English have been made compulsory.

Mathias Mulumba, the coordinator of the lower secondary reform programme said Kiswahili will make Ugandans competitive in the fast integrating East African community.

Students will also choose an additional language out of the approved foreign and local dialects.

The optional languages include Luganda, Lugbara, Acholi, Langi, Lusoga, Runyankole-Rukiga, Ateso, Latin, Arabic, French and German.

The new curriculum is intended to equip students with  practical skills in order to make them productive for the dynamic market.

The new curriculum is intended to provide a holistic education which can promote critical thinking, creativity, numeracy, interpersonal skills, professional mannerism and innovation among students.

The in-service teachers will be trained every holiday starting from  2016, until their colleagues being taught the the new curriculum are graduated by universities and teacher’s colleges.

Institutions of higher learning have been directed to restructure their curriculum to meet the reform.