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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 9, No. 8

Publication Date: August 25, 2022

DOI:10.14738/assrj.98.12895. Milliam, K., & Dominic, K. (2022). A Critical Analysis of the Compulsory Science Education Policy at the Secondary Level of Education

in Uganda. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(8). 297-306.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

A Critical Analysis of the Compulsory Science Education Policy at

the Secondary Level of Education in Uganda

Kiconco Milliam

Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Population Studies

Kyambogo University, Uganda

ORCID iD- https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8639-3332

Karyarugokwo Dominic

Graduate Student, Bugema University School of Education

Kampala, Uganda

ABSTRACT

Uganda is one of the African countries that have been focusing on the science-led

strategy to promote growth and development. One of the strategies is the science

promotion policy, which started in 2005 and among other things made learning and

enrolling on science subjects (mathematics, chemistry, physics and biology)

compulsory at the ordinary level of secondary school education. This paper has,

therefore, used a secondary review methodology to critically analyse the science

policy at the secondary school levels (ordinary and advanced). The paper begins

with an introduction that discusses the history of curriculum reform at the

secondary school level globally and in Africa with emphasis on Uganda. It also

discusses Uganda’s science policy implementation strategies, which included the

government's effort in providing resources such as laboratory equipment and

science textbooks to government-aided schools. There is, then, a section that

discusses the challenges that have hindered the successful implementation of

science policy. This section shows that much as the government of Uganda has tried

to facilitate science policy, the latest being the enhancement of salary for scientists,

including science teachers by 300%, factors such as unresponsive curriculum

content, shortage of qualified science teachers and inadequate laboratory

equipment remain challenges to the, otherwise, good policy. The paper concludes

by stating that improvement in science performance requires a multi-dimensional

approach and, therefore, the recent salary enhancement that only catered for

science teachers may not, necessarily, achieve much as far as improvement in the

performance of students in science subjects is concerned.

Keywords: Science teaching, secondary schools, policy, critical analysis, Uganda.

INTRODUCTION

According to Verspoor and Bergman, science and technology are crucial for development and

if harnessed properly, they can reduce poverty and boost economic growth and development

of countries [1]. The goal of teaching science is the creation of national wealth through the

application of scientific knowledge and skills. Worldwide, there have been two major waves of

secondary education reform. The first one started when the Russians launched the first artificial

satellite into space in 1957 [1]. The aim of this reform was to improve mathematics and science.

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 9, Issue 8, August-2022

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

This inspired major changes in the curriculum in the western world and beginning a decade or

so later, in other areas, particularly, in Africa [1]. As a result of this wave, major changes took

place and these include; (a) a change from subject-centred curricula and teaching to learner- centred curricula and teaching (b), a change from purely academic work to learning by doing

and (c), examination questions were reformed from recalling to knowledge application in new

situations [1]. It is shown that this wave was, however, almost exclusively directed at academic

minorities and the system of examination, largely, remained for the elite.

However, around the 1970s, the economic objectives that people desired could not be met

without paying attention to the education of the less academic majority in secondary schools

[2]. There was a realisation that effort should be put into developing their skills, attitude and

competencies that would enable them to be successful in economies with labour markets that,

increasingly, emphasise the capacity to acquire knowledge and skills, readiness to take

initiative and contribute to innovation on production and process [1]. This resulted in the

second wave that emphasised education for all as reflected in the extensive review of the

secondary curriculum. This secondary curriculum reform wave resulted in clear national

curricula in key subject areas such as science, mathematics, language and humanities and

latterly technology. These curricula were directed at all learners regardless of ability [1].

In Africa, there was a delay in fully appreciating and infusing science education into the

education systems. As a result, many African countries have been characterised by manpower

problems in science disciplines, unexploited resources and over-dependence on expatriates [2].

The differences in science subjects and technology still, largely, account for the variances in

development between developed and developing countries [2]. In August 2006, African

ministers of education sitting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia agreed that science and technology

teaching must undergo reform at all levels of the African educational system [3]. The ministers

drew a ten-year plan from 2006 to 2015 that highlighted science and technology as the most

important tool available for addressing challenges of development and poverty reduction, and

for participating in the global economy and the achievement of the United Nations Millennium

Development Goals [3]. This is because science greatly deals with the day-to-day human

activities and challenges of life such as agriculture, environmental management, health and

nutrition. The plan aimed at improving learning outcomes, promoting the use of indigenous

knowledge and encouraging more girls to pursue scientific careers [3]. Uganda is one of the

African countries that have been promoting and implementing science policy in different

sectors that include education. This paper, therefore, analyses the implementation of

compulsory science-teaching policy in secondary schools in Uganda.

SUMMARY OF THE PAPER

The paper begins with the discussion of two major global secondary school curriculum reforms

and the introduction of science and technology into the secondary school curriculum. Following

this is a part that discusses Uganda’s compulsory science-teaching policy of 2005 that made

science subjects compulsory at the lower secondary school level (from form one to form four).

Then, there is the discussion on the history of poor performance of science subjects at both

ordinary and advanced (forms five and six) levels of education in Uganda. Following this is a

section that discusses factors that have contributed to the poor performance of students in

science subjects and then, the conclusion.

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Milliam, K., & Dominic, K. (2022). A Critical Analysis of the Compulsory Science Education Policy at the Secondary Level of Education in Uganda.

Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(8). 297-306.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.98.12895

The aim of the Paper

This paper aims at giving a critical analysis of science education policy at secondary school level

of education in Uganda. The authors have achieved this by analysing the performance of

learners in science subjects at the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Uganda Advanced

Certificate of Education (UACE) levels since the implementation of the science policy in 2005.

The challenges that have hindered the effective implementation of the policy have also been

discussed to achieve the aim of the paper.

METHODOLOGY

The authors have utilised a secondary review methodology to come up with this paper. Data

from textbooks, journal articles, media reports and government documents has been used to

come up with this paper.

COMPULSORY SCIENCE TEACHING POLICY IN UGANDA

Uganda is one of the countries in Africa that have, already, begun the process of revising its

secondary education system to make it appropriate for the whole age cohort, rather than, a

selected few. The Government of Uganda has advocated and promoted science and technology

for the last three decades. For example, the Government White Paper on Education (1992)

describes the role that science and technology play in promoting development [4]. One of the

ways of promoting science and technology was the implementation of a compulsory science- teaching policy in lower secondary schools (form one to form four). It should be noted that

Uganda’s secondary education structure has got six (6) years of education i.e., four (4) years of

lower/ordinary level and two (2) years of higher/advanced level. The Ugandan education

structure is such that at the end of the ordinary level, students sit for the Uganda Certificate of

Education (UCE) examinations while at the end of the advanced level, students sit for the

Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations. Therefore, the science policy

that started in 2005, made chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics compulsory for all

lower secondary school students [5]. In addition, as a way of encouraging students to offer

science subject combinations at the advanced level (form five and six), the government of

Uganda also announced that science students would receive majority slots at the university and

tertiary institutions intake with 75 per cent of government scholarships reserved for science- oriented courses [6]. The idea behind the science policy was that since obtaining her

independence in 1962, Uganda has, always, promoted the teaching of humanities hence, largely,

producing white-collar- job seekers, a situation that resulted in a shortage of scientists like

doctors and engineers [7]. The science policy was on the premise that the advancement of

science and technology would contribute to the development of modern civilisation in Uganda

[8].

In order to facilitate the implementation of the policy, especially, in less privileged schools, the

government of Uganda through the Ministry of Education and Sports, put up some measures

that included the provision of laboratory kits, provision of chemistry, biology, physics and

mathematics textbooks to public schools and construction of science laboratories in some

public schools [9]. More to this was the establishment of the Secondary Science and

Mathematics (SESEMAT) program in order to enhance the teaching skills of teachers [10]. The

government of Uganda has continued to enforce science policy. A much more recent

development is the salary enhancement of all scientists. In May 2022, the Cabinet approved

Uganda shillings 735 billion to enhance the salary of scientists, including, science teachers in