Rwanda’s Ministry of Education has taken a significant step by deciding to eliminate science practicals from their national examinations.
The move comes as a response to long-standing concerns about the lack of well-equipped laboratories in schools across the country. Starting this academic year, science practicals will no longer be a mandatory requirement in national exams (media reports).
Barnard Bahati, the Director-General of the National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA), made the announcement on Tuesday, coinciding with the commencement of the exams. Instead of the traditional practical examinations, students will now undertake an “alternative practical” examination, where they will demonstrate their practical knowledge theoretically or on paper (Bahati).
The decision has sent shockwaves through teacher unions in Uganda, as they see it as a wake-up call for their country, which is grappling with similar challenges.
Like Rwanda, Uganda faces difficulties in providing quality science education due to a lack of resources, particularly in rural and underserved areas, hindering students’ access to hands-on learning (Filbert Baguma, General Secretary of UNATU).
Reports from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) reveal that many schools in Uganda delay providing learners with access to laboratories and science practicals until just weeks before their national examinations. This results in limited practical teaching and preparation in science subjects throughout the academic year, leading to suboptimal performance in the exams.
The issue of inadequate science laboratories and equipment is a real problem in Uganda, which requires urgent attention.
Filbert Baguma emphasizes the need for constructing more laboratories and equipping existing ones in government-aided schools to improve science education.
“The reality is that we need laboratories in our schools. We are facing numerous challenges in education, and these could have been avoided. Look at the current situation with the lower secondary curriculum; the government is only sending textbooks for senior three as the second term ends, which indicates poor planning. Similarly, why have a curriculum that requires laboratories when they are either not constructed or lack proper equipment?” said Baguma.
While the government has taken some steps to address the challenges, such as increasing salaries for science teachers, experts believe that more comprehensive measures are required.
Aron Mugaiga, General Secretary of the Uganda Professional Science Teachers Union, notes that higher salaries alone may not solve the issues in teaching science subjects. The lack of necessary equipment and instructional materials remains a major hindrance to effective teaching and learning in science subjects.
To tackle the problem, the government has outlined plans to construct and equip science laboratories in public schools. However, concerns have been raised about private schools, which enroll the majority of learners in Uganda. Merely denying licenses to private schools without laboratories may not provide a holistic solution.
There is a need for concerted efforts to extend assistance to private schools to ensure all students have access to proper resources for learning and practical education in science subjects.
Another pressing issue is the acute shortage of science teachers in many schools, particularly secondary schools. The vacancy rate is as high as 42 percent, affecting approximately 29,000 teaching positions in post-primary institutions.
Rev. Prof. Samuel Abimelech Luboga, the ESC chairperson, confirms the severity of the problem, especially for science subjects.
It is worth noting that Uganda had previously implemented provisions for alternative practical papers in core science subjects, but these were later eliminated in 2018. During their visits to several schools, they found that some institutions had as few as five teachers, and some had only one or two science subject teachers, which is inadequate to meet the educational needs of the students.
Rwanda’s recent policy change serves as a reminder of the need for both countries to address the challenges in science education to ensure a well-rounded and inclusive educational system for all students.