The Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU), an umbrella that brings together all teachers has asked government to look into a proposal seeking to adjust primary learning period to eight years.
Reading out the proposal on Tuesday, Filbert Baguma the UNATU General Secretary said many pupils start their school life at very early ages meaning by increasing the primary cycle for an extra year, this will allow them time to even grow as they prepare for secondary schools.
“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 told the Education Policy Review Commission.
He said the adjustment will also allow parents and teachers time to internalize properly on what areas a particular learner is well conversant with including non academic fields.
Baguma highlighted, in compensation for the additional year in primary level, one more year should be knocked off the secondary curriculum.
He explained in secondary right from senior one, students should be allowed to undertake subjects they hold much passion in and they can succeed at.
“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.”
“The education system should adopt three phases of primary school including a lower primary, a transitional primary and upper primary to clearly identify the strengths of the children,” Baguma explained.