A new report by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has found that 94.6% of learners support the country’s Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC), citing its focus on practical skills and real-world learning. However, the findings also highlight shortages of learning materials, limited laboratory equipment and challenges with assessment tasks.
Presented at UNEB’s 16th annual research conference on 25 September 2026, the draft report examined how learners experience the curriculum introduced in 2020. It also explored the role of continuous assessment, classroom participation and practical projects in supporting learning.
For parents, teachers and school leaders, the findings highlight both the benefits of the curriculum and the resources schools need to implement it effectively.
Ugandan Learners Recognise The Benefits Of Practical Learning
The study found that 94.6% of learners strongly agreed that the Competence-Based Curriculum builds practical and applicable skills. Additionally, 88.9% agreed that continuous assessment helps teachers identify learning gaps and provide targeted support.
According to lead researcher Florence Obong Capuc, learners recognised the curriculum’s potential to encourage independent learning, deeper understanding and the application of knowledge, skills and values.
The report also identified improvements in learner confidence and participation. Students were more expressive and engaged in classroom discussions, presentations and group activities.
Researcher Matthias Miti highlighted the role of project work and practical activities, explaining that
“The report also revealed active learning and engagement with Project work, Activities of Integration (AOI), and practical tasks made learning more interesting, enjoyable, and less monotonous,”
The findings suggest that practical activities can help learners connect classroom knowledge with everyday situations. They can also encourage teamwork, communication, leadership and problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, the report found that continuous assessment can reduce anxiety associated with high-stakes examinations and accommodate learners with different abilities, including those requiring special educational support.
Learning Materials Remain A Major Challenge
Despite the positive responses, access to resources remains a concern.
The report identified limited learning materials for practical work as the most serious challenge experienced by learners. In particular, 71.5% strongly agreed that a lack of materials made projects difficult.
Other concerns included limited laboratory equipment, insufficient assessment materials and the pressure of completing multiple assessment tasks. Some learners also struggled to understand assessment standards and express their competencies effectively.
Scenario-based Activities of Integration, which require learners to apply knowledge across different topics, presented additional difficulties. Learners reported that some scenarios were lengthy, used complex vocabulary and combined several topics without clear illustrations or expectations.
These findings highlight the importance of matching assessment demands to the resources available in schools.
For teachers, this means that successful implementation requires more than changing lesson plans. Schools also need suitable materials, clear assessment guidance and enough time to support learners individually.
Teachers Need Support To Deliver The Curriculum
The report identified concerns about inconsistent feedback and limited opportunities for reflection and presentations. It also found differences between male and female learners in their perceptions of the feedback they received.
The researchers suggested that teachers’ heavy workloads could limit their ability to provide timely, individualised support.
As a result, the report called for more teachers, particularly in science, performing arts and Kiswahili. It also recommended better access to textbooks, laboratory equipment and information and communications technology resources, prioritising rural and under-resourced schools.
For school leaders, the findings underline the importance of allocating time for projects, establishing internal assessment committees and maintaining accurate records. The report also recommended that schools guide learners through scenario-based questions and engage parents through parent-teacher association meetings.
Meanwhile, the National Curriculum Development Centre was advised to simplify and structure scenario-based tasks more clearly, ensuring that assessment expectations reflect the content taught and resources available.
UNEB Calls For Research Findings To Inform Education Policy
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo emphasised the importance of using research to guide decisions about education. he said,
“Policymakers in government and elsewhere usually depend on evidence and we are now talking about evidence-based decisions, evidence-based policies,” he said. “That’s what gives you the basis on which you make a decision, you make an intervention either one way or the other. Indeed it is said that without data you are just another person with an opinion.”
Odongo also expressed concern that research recommendations are not always acted upon after conferences and presentations.
“We hope that these recommendations are looked at. We have a problem in this country with such reports. The moment the presentation is done, they go to the shelves and they remain there. Nobody ever looks at them again,”
UNEB Board Chairperson Celestine Obua also highlighted the board’s research and dissemination work, noting that recommendations from previous studies had led to some changes.
The challenge now is to ensure that the latest findings translate into practical improvements for learners and teachers.
Schools Need Resources To Make Competence-Based Learning Work
The National Private Educational Institutions Association also supported the curriculum’s practical focus. Its national chairman, Hassadu Kirabira, said the approach encouraged creativity and helped learners connect with their communities. He said,
“Of course, we need it and [the syllabus] tasks learners, practically it makes them creative than cramming, it makes them more creative and active and empowers them physically and also skill-wise and links them up to the community and the needs of the community,”
Kirabira also called for greater government investment, noting the costs schools face when implementing the programme.
“We need to see the dynamism of the sector; we need to see a sector that is rhyming with the world standards, East Africa and the world. Education has to change according to the economic needs, political and social needs,”
Education consultant Gonzaga Gaswaga also stressed the importance of teacher-student and student-classroom ratios. He argued that smaller classes allow teachers to provide more individual attention, which is particularly important for a resource-intensive curriculum. He said,
“So, if you compare our current situation with the ones in international schools, you realize that their classes have fewer students and therefore the teacher-pupil or teacher-student ratio is smaller. So, the teacher is able to give enough time, enough support to those students, especially for the competence-based curriculum, which is resource intensive.”
What The Findings Mean For Ugandan Education
The report presents a positive picture of learner acceptance, particularly around practical skills, active participation and continuous assessment. However, it also shows that schools need adequate resources and teacher support to deliver these benefits consistently.
For parents, the findings highlight the value of learning approaches that encourage children to apply knowledge rather than rely only on memorisation. For teachers, they reinforce the need for manageable assessment demands, clear guidance and opportunities to support learners individually.
Ultimately, the curriculum’s success will depend on how effectively education authorities address resource shortages, strengthen teacher capacity and act on research recommendations.
Learners may welcome the shift towards practical learning, but schools need the right conditions to make it work.
