Learner proficiency has improved under Uganda’s Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), according to the latest findings by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), suggesting that the education reforms are beginning to yield positive learning outcomes.
The findings are contained in the 2025 National Assessment of Progress in Education (NAPE), which evaluated learner achievement in Biology, English Language and Mathematics. The assessment compared current performance with the last lower secondary NAPE conducted in 2014, before the rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum.
Analysis of the results shows substantial gains across all three subjects. In Mathematics, 61.6 percent of Senior Two learners attained the desired proficiency level, compared to 41.5 percent in 2014. In Biology, the proportion more than doubled from 20.5 percent to 45.6 percent. In the writing component of English Language, proficiency rose sharply from 49.3 percent to 80.7 percent.
“…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 covered 8,234 Senior Two learners, including 3,962 boys and 4,272 girls, drawn from 272 schools across all 136 districts. Government schools accounted for 70.9 percent of the sample, while private schools contributed 29.1 percent. Kennedy Jumanyol, UNEB’s Principal Research Officer in charge of Data Management, said that although the curriculum, teaching approaches and assessment methods have changed over the years, comparing the proportion of learners who attain the minimum proficiency level still provides a useful measure of progress.
He attributed the improvement to a combination of government investments and education reforms. “This finding suggests that recent government interventions, such as the deployment of more teachers, expansion of school infrastructure and reforms like the introduction of the Competency-Based Curriculum, seem to have contributed to improved learner achievement,” Jumanyol said.
Learner performance was assessed across four proficiency bands, ranging from limited to advanced mastery of the required competencies. Band One comprised learners with limited understanding of concepts and weak application of relevant skills. Band Two represented learners who demonstrated a basic understanding of concepts and skills. Band Three indicated a high level of conceptual understanding and effective application of relevant skills, and was set as the minimum expected level of proficiency.
Band Four represented learners with exceptional mastery of concepts and skills. According to the report, only learners who attained Band Three, the minimum expected level of proficiency, or higher were classified as proficient. Learners in this category demonstrated a high level of understanding of concepts and the ability to apply the relevant skills. Despite the overall improvement in learner proficiency, the assessment shows that longstanding inequalities in learning outcomes persist.
The gaps identified in the report reflect patterns that have been documented in previous education assessments, pointing to deep-rooted disparities in the education system. Even learners who attained the highest proficiency levels continued to face challenges in applying scientific process skills during experiments, using appropriate scientific vocabulary and analysing texts. The assessment also showed persistent differences linked to gender, age, school type and location.
Boys continued to outperform girls in Mathematics and Biology, with the gender gap widening compared to 2014. Over-age learners recorded lower proficiency levels than learners within the expected age range, while boarding school learners performed better than their day-school counterparts. Learners in urban schools also continued to achieve higher proficiency levels than those in rural schools, highlighting enduring inequalities in access to quality learning opportunities.
A notable shift was also observed in school ownership. In 2014, government schools recorded a higher proportion of proficient learners than private schools. By 2025, the trend had reversed, with private schools posting higher proficiency rates and widening the gap between the two categories. The report comes at a time when Uganda is implementing major education reforms aimed at shifting learning away from memorisation towards the development of practical skills and competencies.
UNEB’s last lower secondary NAPE assessment was conducted in 2014. Financial constraints prevented further assessments in the years that followed, creating a decade-long gap in nationally comparable data on learner achievement. The 2025 assessment therefore provides the first broad picture of learner performance under the Competency-Based Curriculum since its introduction. Beyond learner achievement, the assessment also revealed widespread non-compliance with curriculum implementation guidelines.
The Competency-Based Curriculum requires classroom instruction between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., followed by independent learning and project work from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. However, many schools continue to conduct early morning and evening lessons, contrary to the prescribed timetable. The report further found limited implementation of integrated learning activities and inadequate use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to support research, project work and learner-centred instruction, highlighting areas that require greater attention as the curriculum continues to be rolled out nationwide.
Commenting on the findings, Dan Odongo, UNEB Executive Director, said many people would expect the assessment to outline specific interventions needed to address the identified gaps. However, he explained that NAPE’s mandate is limited to measuring and reporting learning outcomes. Odongo said the board’s role ends with providing evidence through the assessment, which serves as a dashboard for policymakers, education authorities, schools and other stakeholders to identify gaps and design appropriate interventions to improve learning outcomes.
Acting Minister of Education and Sports, John Chrysostom Muyingo, welcomed the findings, saying they provide government with evidence to review the education sector and strengthen areas where implementation remains weak. Muyingo said the report should guide efforts to ensure that all learners, regardless of where they study, attain the expected competencies across all subjects-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
