By Patrick Opio
Senior Communications Officer/Lira University
The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has advised universities and other tertiary institutions to quickly align and acclimatise to the competence-based education to avoid being left out or be obsolete.
Dr. Vincent A. Ssembatya, Director Quality Assurance and Accreditation at NCHE, said, Uganda’s education system is currently changing and taking practical or hands-on approach as core.
He was making a closing remark during the NCHE’s Capacity Building Workshop on Transforming Higher Education Curricula into Competence-Based Education and Training Format held at Education Building Hall, Lira University on 13th May 2026. The participants were staff drawn from the Higher Education Intuitions in the greater north.
Dr. Ssembatya added that the academic staff should possess qualifications relevant to the discipline (minimum Master’s degree for undergraduate teaching), with demonstrable teaching and research experience, and be registered with relevant professional bodies (where applicable).
Dr. Richard Ouma, Senior staff at NCHE, noted that needs assessment (labour market surveys, tracer studies, stakeholder consultations) be conducted during the academic programme development, besides benchmarking against national, regional, and international programmes.
“Involve stakeholders like industry experts, professional bodies, academic staff, employers, alumni, students in the curriculum development process,” Dr. Ouma advised.
He encouraged the academic staff to be concise, with comprehensive overview of the programme, ensure the disciplinary focus and scope, with key thematic areas covered.
On the academic programme rationale and
justification, Dr, Ouma calls for national, regional, or global demand, with skills gaps identified, employment trends, government policy alignment, industry demand and professional shortages, contribution to innovation, research, and community development.
Programme Competences
Dr, Ouma reveals that the Programme competences should describe the broad abilities graduates will possess to include knowledge competences (theoretical understanding and conceptual mastery), practical and technical competences (Hands-on and professional skills and Application of tools, technologies, or methodologies), cognitive competences (Critical thinking, analytical reasoning and problem-solving) and affective and professional competences (ethics, professional conduct, teamwork and leadership).
He adds, “Formative and summative assessments must be passed independently. The grading system shall be in accordance with institutional academic regulations and in conformity with the NCHE regulatory provisions.”
He explained that the Computer Literacy course is a foundational, competency-based induction course designed to equip learners with essential digital literacy knowledge, practical ICT skills, and responsible technology-use competencies required in higher education and the modern digital workplace.
“The course emphasizes hands-on practice, performance-based learning, and authentic assessment. By the end of the course, learners demonstrate competence in executing essential digital tasks independently, efficiently, and ethically,” he says.
Dr. Iremaut Martin Osikei, NCHE senior staff, observed that the Computer Literacy Training programme adopts a Competency-Based Education (CBE) approach that prioritizes active, student-centered, experiential, and technology-enhanced learning methodologies. “The focus shifts from passive lecture-based instruction to participatory and performance-driven learning experiences that promote mastery of knowledge, skills, and professional attitudes,” he adds.
He said that Formative Assessment (Minimum 50%), is continuous and developmental, provides feedback that supports learning improvement and mastery of competencies.
On Summative Assessment (Maximum 50%), Dr. Osikei notes that it evaluates cumulative learning at the end of a course or semester. “Summative assessments are designed to measure higher-order cognitive skills (analysis, synthesis, evaluation) rather than rote memorization,” he said.