Uganda has introduced an impressive new Secondary Curriculum. Memorisation and regurgitation of dictated notes have gone. Researching and evaluating information and other life skills are at the fore. Schools have been sent free sample copies of attractive new course books and teacher guidance. Each topic begins with a group activity, such as reading text extracts or conducting a task or experiment. Students learn relevant subject knowledge from the teacher, from books and on-line resources. Topics end with plenary tasks, questions and discussion which help students and teachers to assess what has been learnt. Observing lessons we have been impressed by the high level of children’s engagement and by how much more they seem to be learning in each lesson.
If it is to succeed, competency-based learning requires access to plentiful supplies of books, computers and a full-range of other learning resources, not least for science and other practical subjects such as agriculture, art and design and performing arts.
New curriculum History class of 100 at Mustard Seed Humanist Secondary School discussing strategies employed by British colonialists to take over Uganda
UHST is doing its best to help the Humanist High Schools to gear up for the new curriculum. We have doubled what we spend each year on books and science materials. We are trying to improve library and computer facilities and create spaces outside normal classrooms where students can read, research and perform group tasks. We found additional resources to upgrade the science and computer labs at Mustard Seed School, which no longer met requirements. Facilities of the Library and Information Centre at Isaac Newton, opened 2 years ago, are already proving to be inadequate. We have helped Kasese Humanist Municipal High School to enlarge and refurbish its science lab. Much more needs to be done across all the schools if they are to cope well with the new curriculum.
Isaac Newton High School is the latest of the Humanist schools in Uganda to be hit by storm damage. Torrential rains leaked into several buildings. Wind blew the roof off a girls’ toilet block and damaged the fabric of the building. The ferocity of recent storms across East Africa is unprecedented and provides further potent evidence of climate change. Floods and landslides in Kenya hit the world news headlines, but similar events in Uganda have gone unnoticed internationally.
The costs are mounting. Mustard Seed Secondary School lost the roof of a girls’ dormitory in a hurricane-like storm. At Kanungu Primary School the main toilet block was destroyed.
So far Uganda Humanist Schools Trust has been able to help thanks to money generously donated by our supporters. However, with donations reduced since Covid, funds to improve education and welfare have had to be diverted to ameliorating the effects of climate change. The whole world needs to wake up to the climate emergency which is already upon us.
Posted: July 29, 2024 by Steve Hurd
Uganda Humanist Schools 2024
You can read about the progress of individual Humanist Schools in Uganda in the following reports:
Isaac Newton Humanist Schools
Mustard Seed Humanist Schools
Kasese Humanist Schools
Katumba Parents Humanist Primary School
Kanungu Humanist Primary School
Eagle’s View Humanist Primary School
Posted: May 22, 2024 by Steve Hurd
Learning in the new Uganda National Curriculum
Uganda has introduced an impressive new Secondary Curriculum. Memorisation and regurgitation of dictated notes have gone. Researching and evaluating information and other life skills are at the fore. Schools have been sent free sample copies of attractive new course books and teacher guidance. Each topic begins with a group activity, such as reading text extracts or conducting a task or experiment. Students learn relevant subject knowledge from the teacher, from books and on-line resources. Topics end with plenary tasks, questions and discussion which help students and teachers to assess what has been learnt. Observing lessons we have been impressed by the high level of children’s engagement and by how much more they seem to be learning in each lesson.
If it is to succeed, competency-based learning requires access to plentiful supplies of books, computers and a full-range of other learning resources, not least for science and other practical subjects such as agriculture, art and design and performing arts.
UHST is doing its best to help the Humanist High Schools to gear up for the new curriculum. We have doubled what we spend each year on books and science materials. We are trying to improve library and computer facilities and create spaces outside normal classrooms where students can read, research and perform group tasks. We found additional resources to upgrade the science and computer labs at Mustard Seed School, which no longer met requirements. Facilities of the Library and Information Centre at Isaac Newton, opened 2 years ago, are already proving to be inadequate. We have helped Kasese Humanist Municipal High School to enlarge and refurbish its science lab. Much more needs to be done across all the schools if they are to cope well with the new curriculum.
Posted: May 7, 2024 by Steve Hurd
Climate emergency hits schools
Isaac Newton High School is the latest of the Humanist schools in Uganda to be hit by storm damage. Torrential rains leaked into several buildings. Wind blew the roof off a girls’ toilet block and damaged the fabric of the building. The ferocity of recent storms across East Africa is unprecedented and provides further potent evidence of climate change. Floods and landslides in Kenya hit the world news headlines, but similar events in Uganda have gone unnoticed internationally.
The costs are mounting. Mustard Seed Secondary School lost the roof of a girls’ dormitory in a hurricane-like storm. At Kanungu Primary School the main toilet block was destroyed.
So far Uganda Humanist Schools Trust has been able to help thanks to money generously donated by our supporters. However, with donations reduced since Covid, funds to improve education and welfare have had to be diverted to ameliorating the effects of climate change. The whole world needs to wake up to the climate emergency which is already upon us.