Uganda’s education reforms are beginning to translate into better learning outcomes, with the latest findings from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) indicating that learners under the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) are demonstrating higher proficiency levels than those assessed before the curriculum was introduced.
The findings are contained in the 2025 National Assessment of Progress in Education (NAPE), which evaluated Senior Two learners in Mathematics, Biology and English Language. The assessment provides the first nationwide comparison of learner achievement since the rollout of the Competency-Based Lower Secondary Curriculum and compares current performance with the previous lower secondary assessment conducted in 2014.
According to the report, learner proficiency has improved significantly across all the assessed subjects.
In Mathematics, 61.6 percent of Senior Two learners reached the minimum expected proficiency level, up from 41.5 percent recorded in 2014. Biology registered one of the biggest improvements, with proficiency increasing from 20.5 percent to 45.6 percent, while the writing component of English Language rose from 49.3 percent to 80.7 percent.
The report notes that the sharp increase in learners attaining the required proficiency level suggests that the Competency-Based Curriculum is contributing to stronger learning outcomes.
“The percentage of Senior Two learners rated proficient in Mathematics, Biology and the writing sub-skill increased by a large margin. These findings suggest that more learners have become proficient under the Competency-Based Lower Secondary Curriculum,” the report states.
The assessment involved 8,234 Senior Two learners, comprising 3,962 boys and 4,272 girls, selected from 272 schools spread across Uganda’s 136 districts. Government schools accounted for 70.9 percent of the sample, while private schools made up 29.1 percent.
Kennedy Jumanyol, UNEB’s Principal Research Officer for Data Management, said that although teaching methods, curriculum content and assessment approaches have evolved over the years, comparing learners who achieve the minimum proficiency benchmark remains an effective way of measuring progress.
He attributed the improved performance to a combination of education reforms and increased government investment in the sector.
Jumanyol said the recruitment of more teachers, expansion of school infrastructure and implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum appear to have played an important role in raising learner achievement.
The assessment classified learners into four proficiency levels. Band One represented learners with limited understanding of concepts and weak application of skills, while Band Two reflected basic competence. Band Three, which was set as the minimum expected level, identified learners with a solid understanding of concepts and the ability to apply relevant skills effectively. Band Four represented exceptional mastery.
Only learners who attained Band Three or Band Four were considered proficient.
Despite the overall progress, the report highlights persistent inequalities in learning outcomes across different categories of learners.
UNEB found that boys continued to outperform girls in Mathematics and Biology, with the gender gap widening compared to the previous assessment. Learners above the expected age for Senior Two generally performed worse than their younger counterparts, while boarding school students recorded higher proficiency levels than those attending day schools.
The report also found that learners in urban schools continued to perform better than those in rural schools, pointing to continued disparities in access to quality education and learning resources.
Another notable change was observed in school ownership. While government schools had recorded higher proficiency levels than private schools during the 2014 assessment, the latest findings show that private schools have overtaken government institutions, widening the performance gap between the two categories.
Although learner proficiency has improved, the assessment identified several areas where students continue to struggle. Even those achieving the highest proficiency levels experienced difficulties in applying scientific process skills during experiments, using appropriate scientific terminology and analysing written texts.
The report also assessed the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum and found that many schools are yet to fully comply with its requirements.
Under the curriculum guidelines, classroom instruction is expected to take place between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., followed by independent learning, project work and research activities from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. However, many schools continue to conduct early morning and evening lessons outside the recommended timetable.
UNEB further noted that integrated learning activities remain limited in many schools, while the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to support learner-centred teaching, research and project work is still inadequate.
The board said these shortcomings need to be addressed to ensure effective implementation of the curriculum nationwide.
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said the board’s responsibility is to assess and report learner achievement rather than prescribe solutions.
He explained that the assessment provides evidence that policymakers, education managers, schools and other stakeholders can use to identify weaknesses and develop interventions aimed at improving learning outcomes.
Acting Minister of Education and Sports John Chrysostom Muyingo welcomed the findings, describing them as an important source of evidence for evaluating ongoing education reforms.
Muyingo said the assessment would help government identify areas requiring additional attention and guide efforts to ensure that learners across the country, regardless of their school or location, acquire the competencies expected under the Competency-Based Curriculum.
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