Uganda Primary Schools To Start Teaching Students About Corruption, Government Declares

• As part of a move aimed at dissuading corruption, Uganda has chosen to teach its children about it from a tender age
• This is after the government declared the inclusion of anti-corruption studies in the primary school curriculum
• The move follows a recent review session of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption

In a landmark initiative, the Ugandan government has mandated the inclusion of anti-corruption studies in the primary school curriculum.

The directive, issued by the Directorate of Ethics and Integrity (DEI), is part of a broader strategy to combat corruption early in education.

Move aims to teach children from tender ages

Daily Monitor reports that the announcement was made during a press conference in Kampala following a review session of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

Nicholas Abola, the DEI’s Commissioner for Communication and Information, emphasised the importance of shaping young minds to resist corrupt practices.

He explained that the DEI has collaborated with the Ministry of Education to integrate the changes into the curriculum for both primary and secondary education levels.

“Our focus is on nurturing the character of our youth, steering them away from the temptations of corruption,” he stated.

Students will learn different forms of corruption

Sania Nagaddya, an educator, acknowledged that while formal lessons on corruption have yet to be introduced, schools have successfully woven related topics into their programmes.

“The establishment of patriotic clubs has been instrumental in instilling values of ethics and integrity among students, paving the way for a more conscientious future generation,” she remarked.

Details indicate that the curriculum is designed to enlighten students about different forms of corruption and the significance of integrity in everyday life.

With this progressive step, Uganda hopes to set a precedent in the fight against corruption and foster a culture of transparency and honesty that will resonate with future generations.

Challenges faced by CBC curriculum in Kenya

Meanwhile, the Kenyan government launched the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) in 2017 via the Ministry of Education.

The idea was to teach holistic learners with 21st-century abilities for the labour market.

However, several pertinent and contemporary issues have arisen in CBC implementation.

The first is a lack of adequate teaching and learning materials, as CBC necessitates more resources than standard curricula, including textbooks, instructional materials, infrastructure, and technology.

Inadequate awareness and support have also hindered implementation since its significant departure from the old curriculum.

The third challenge is inadequacy in teachers and classrooms, as execution requires more classrooms to meet the rising number of students and recruit more teachers.