🎓 A New Curriculum for Uganda: Are We Building a House Not Everyone Can Live In?

✍️ Authored by the ACSPR Team 
Shaping Africa’s Future with Evidence, Equity, and Innovation for Impact

Education reform is often celebrated as progress. But when innovation outpaces inclusion, who gets left behind?

Uganda’s education system is undergoing a significant transformation. The move to a Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) marks a shift toward practical learning, creativity, problem-solving, and innovation – preparing learners to become thinkers and doers, not just memorizers. On paper, it’s a leap toward relevance in a rapidly evolving world.

Yet, amid the celebration, one critical question emerges:

A practical curriculum demands practical tools. This includes:

 ● Science kits
 ● Computers
 ● Reliable internet access
 ● Updated learning materials
 ● Skilled and well-trained teachers
 ● Functional classrooms and assessment tools

While some schools - especially private and urban institutions - have adapted successfully, many government and rural schools continue to struggle.

Picture these two classrooms:

● In Kampala: students run experiments using digital labs, coding tools, and guided research.
● In rural Bukomansimbi: “ICT lessons” happen through chalkboard illustrations because there are no computers.

This isn’t exaggeration - it’s reality.

Evidence supports this divide. UNICEF Uganda’s education brief highlights significant inequalities in infrastructure and resource distribution, while the 2021 UNEB report shows an increasing performance gap between rural and urban schools.

The curriculum isn’t failing - access is.

The challenge isn’t in the curriculum’s design – the intent is visionary. The real test lies in equitable implementation, especially within Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) schools.

At ACSPR, we see this not just as an education issue – it’s a matter of equity, inclusion, and opportunity.

Our team is engaging schools, educators, and local governments to better understand and address these disparities.

We are:
● Quantifying the issue: collecting data to guide policymakers on where the gaps are widest.
●  Co-creating solutions with communities: supporting teachers, improving school readiness, and bridging digital divides.

But no single institution can address this alone. Building an equitable education system requires collaboration between:

 ● Government
 ● Civil society
 ● Development partners
 ● Private sector
 ● Communities

A curriculum is only as powerful as its reach.

Uganda’s future depends not only on having the right educational model - but ensuring every child, regardless of location or socioeconomic background, has the tools to benefit from it.

Together, we can ensure the Competence-Based Curriculum becomes a catalyst for inclusion, not inequality.