Africa-Press – Uganda. Following the release of last year’s O-level results, St Peter’s SS Naalya is in high spirits for the stellar performance.
On Monday, the school celebrated the candidates who excelled well in the exams, with the top two performers given full bursaries, four given half bursaries and others given a couple of other incentives including pocket money in appreciation.
The principal, John Katongole said the school recorded remarkable academic results under the new curriculum, with no failures reported among its O-Level students.
He highlighted a learning curve for both teachers and learners in adapting to the curriculum’s practical approach.
“The new curriculum allows learners to think, interpret, synthesise, and reason together. Teachers guide students but also give them the freedom to experiment and learn through practice. This hands-on approach has contributed to better performance compared to the old system, which relied heavily on memorization,” Katongole said.
The school principal noted a shift in gender performance trends. While historically boys have outperformed girls, the new results show that girls are now excelling academically.
He attributed this to greater attention and structured support provided to female students during and after the COVID-19 period, which allowed them to focus on long-term academic goals.
“Boys have tended to focus more on personal ventures and earning opportunities, while girls remain committed to academic progress. This focus is reflected in their performance under the new curriculum,” he noted
According to the principal, St. Peter’s Naalya is also aligning its curriculum with Uganda’s digital transformation agenda.
The school has invested in a modern IT lab that can accommodate over 400 students at a time. Students are encouraged to design projects, compete in digital challenges, and use technology as an integral part of learning.
“Integration of IT across subjects is essential for preparing learners for the digital economy. Students who excel in these areas are rewarded, fostering healthy competition and skill development.”
The school principal emphasized that parental and community involvement is crucial under the new curriculum.
Students are tasked with real-life problem-solving assignments that require guidance and oversight from both parents and the wider community. This approach fosters critical thinking, responsibility, and practical reasoning.
“When students make errors that are not destructive, parents and teachers should allow them to learn from these mistakes. The curriculum emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world problem-solving.”
Despite early successes, he highlighted challenges in implementing the new curriculum and called on the government for support in three key areas lack of adequate space for practical demonstrations faced by a number of schools.
“With increased space, IT support, and teacher training, every school can excel under this curriculum,” he said.
Godfrey Mwanja, a parent to one of the students who performed well at the school hailed the administration and teachers for the efforts in ensuring success of the learners.
He however urged parents to always get involved in the performance of their children.
“This is very, very critical. The most important reason is that as parents, we understand our children better because we have been with them for a long time, right from childhood. Like any other profession, for example, doctors, to treat a patient well, they must understand them,” Mwanja said.
