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The Leap into a New Curriculum
In May 2023, Mbaziira joined VVOB’s Learning Entrepreneurship and Agriculture Practically (LEAP) project, a five-year initiative funded by the Belgian government to support Ugandan educators to deliver quality agriculture and entrepreneurship education. The project’s focus on continuous professional development equips teachers with the necessary skills to deliver the country’s new (2020) curriculum, which has moved away from a purely competitive academic structure towards one focused on practical skills development. This change posed a significant challenge for many educators, including Mbaziira. "I lacked the practical knowledge to successfully teach this new curriculum," he reflects. "When I found out about this training, I asked to join, and I was excited to participate."
Agriculture is one of Uganda’s most important sectors, with approximately 80 per cent of the country’s population living in rural areas depending on it for their livelihoods. By introducing agriculture as a compulsory subject in lower secondary education, Uganda’s curriculum shift is supporting learners to acquire practical skills, in alignment with the country’s Green Growth Development Strategy and the National Strategy for Youth Employment in Agriculture, promoting inclusive economic growth through climate-smart farming and entrepreneurship in agriculture.
Globally, youth are three times more likely than adults to be unemployed. They are also overrepresented among the most vulnerable categories of workers. With one of the world’s youngest populations and two-thirds of its youth working in agriculture, quality and relevant teaching in agriculture remains critical to ensuring Ugandan youth have opportunities to become more than statistics.
Practical, Relevant Teaching
The continuous professional development training introduced Mbaziira to practical teaching methodologies with real-world relevance – methodologies he had not considered. Before the project, he never questioned if he was the right person to teach all aspects of the curriculum. “I used to think I had enough knowledge to teach my learners, I never gave thought to collaboration with others,” he explains.
However, since then, he has learned the value of incorporating others’ real-world and relevant knowledge into his lessons. “I found out that our very own school nurse was very experienced, knowledgeable and successful at vegetable growing,” he says and now includes the school nurse as one of his “world of work” educators.
Mbaziira has also invited other teachers to impart their practical knowledge, even roping in the physics teacher: “On one occasion, I set up a vertical garden but had a challenge of irrigation. The physics teacher helped me figure out a way by using locally available materials.”
From "Mr. Soil" to a YouTube Educator
Mbaziira has not always been seen as innovative by his students. “My learners had given me a funny and not-so-cool name 'Mr. Soil'," he recalls. However, as soil fertility is declining at an alarming rate in Uganda due to unsustainable practices, what Mbaziira teaches has never been more relevant. Mbaziira is committed to reaching his students in any way he can, embracing technology to bridge the gap between traditional classroom learning and digital media by posting educational videos about agriculture online. "I started making small videos, editing and posting them on my YouTube Channel. This gave me rapport with my students and the teachers as well,” he explains.
His shift in teaching methodologies has led to a significant increase in student retention in his agriculture classes, with more students choosing to continue their studies in this subject: "Before I applied the methodologies I learned, more students used to drop agriculture," Mbaziira reflects. "Today, more students are staying in my class."
Amid Mbaziira’s successes are also challenges. The teaching profession is often undervalued. Teachers are not always well-compensated; they face heavy workloads and insufficient professional development opportunities. Urgent action to tackle this is needed to attract and retain teachers like Mbaziira. According to the Teacher Task Force and UNESCO Global Report on Teachers, only four out of ten countries are projected to have enough teachers for universal primary education by 2030. This drops to fewer than one in five countries for secondary education.
Teachers are essential for quality education and play a critical role in building a more sustainable, resilient and prosperous future for all. For Mbaziira, his passion for education and his commitment to his students drive him forward. "It takes a lot of patience and perseverance to keep going," he says. "The mindset I have is that I serve a greater purpose that I am committed to and that if I keep building, I will be successful. I want to inspire my learners so much that they become great citizens and practitioners in their fields."
Supporting initiatives like continuous professional development for educators and improving teacher recognition are crucial steps toward ensuring all learners receive quality education. Following the celebration of International Teacher’s Day 2024, we continue to spotlight the Teacher Task Force’s #TeachersMissing campaign to address global teacher shortages. Investing in teachers is more than just a priority, it is an imperative.