The National Curriculum Development Centre –NCDC says it is not compulsory for learners in lower secondary school level to sit for the final assessment of the vocational subjects.
This is in line with the new lower secondary curriculum that was introduced by the government in 2020 for skills development. Each learner to be assessed under this program must pay 80,000 Shillings.
As the Directorate of Industrial Training –DIT is now preparing to assess the pioneers of the lower secondary curriculum next year, NCDC says it is not mandatory that every student must sit for the final exam of DIT as it is for the Uganda National Examinations Board –UNEB exams.
John Okumu, the Manager Secondary department NCDC explains that due to the additional expenditure involved they decided to leave it optional to sit for the final assessment by DIT.
According to Okumu, the innovation was intended to help especially the learners who usually drop out before completing the cycle in education to have a life skill that can make them earn a living even without a certificate.
Besides the Uganda Certificate of Education-UCE by UNEB, a learner who will sit for the final DIT assessment will as well receive a level one competency certificate for the Uganda Vocational Qualification Framework from DIT.
DIT as an assessment body is mandated to carry out assessment and accreditation of the learners as concerns the skills for the world of work.
According to the Acting Director Directorate of Industrial Training –DIT, Patrick Byakatonda, both the school and the learners are expected to pay for the final assessment like it is with the UNEB exams.
The pre-vocational subjects are summarized under eight disciplines including Information and Communication Technology, Entrepreneurship, Agriculture, Art and Design, Technology and Design, Nutrition and Technology, Physical Education.
A school to qualify for a DIT assessment center number should be registered with the Ministry of Education and Sports, have the Uganda National Examination Board-UNEB center number, have more than five students, and facilities for the occupational practicals as well as trainers.
The school will also be mandated to pay 350,000 Shillings as registration fee for the center number. This fee does not apply to Universal Secondary schools.
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