In the 1980s and 1990s, Ugandan primary schools buzzed with creativity. Art corners brimmed with colourful paintings, children moulded clay pots with muddy hands, and walls were proudly plastered with woven mats and drawings.
Today, these once vibrant spaces have all but disappeared, replaced by chalk-filled drills and rote memorisation. Arts and crafts, once a cornerstone of the primary school curriculum, is slowly fading from Uganda’s education landscape.
At Kamonkoli Mixed Primary School in Budaka District, what was once an art room is now an empty corner. ‘We don’t have the materials, and most of the time is spent on subjects that will be examined,’ said Mr Fred Muduka, the head teacher.
‘These subjects are still in existence, but not much effort is put into them because they are not examinable. Teachers tend not to concentrate on these activities,’ he added.
Mr Muduka further explained that many of the raw materials previously used for these activities are now hard to come by.
‘The materials are too scarce. This makes the activity more complicated due to lack of materials,’ he said.
‘Dry banana fibres are no longer available, because even banana plantations have disappeared. The same goes for sisal, it is just history now, and reeds are quite scarce and expensive.’ Mr Dickson Njaye, a primary teacher, said arts and crafts is now viewed as a luxury. ‘Unlike before, most of the schools are slowly abandoning art and crafts,’ he said.
Exams first, everything else later
Teachers, educationists, and parents alike point to Uganda’s exam-oriented system as the main culprit. The Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) assess only Mathematics, Social Studies, Science, and English. Arts, crafts, music, and drama, though technically part of the curriculum, carry no examination weight.
‘When something is not in PLE, schools treat it as less important,’ said Mr Eriya Poli, head teacher of Budaka Helper Project Primary School. ‘Parents also pressure schools to prioritise what will bring results in exams, so teachers quietly push art and crafts aside.’
Even passionate teachers are hindered by tight budgets. Universal Primary Education (UPE) grants come with stringent conditions, and funding often falls short for non-core activities. ‘Materials such as clay, beads, or weaving reeds cost money,’ said Mr Njaye of Kamonkoli Mixed Primary School. ‘When the UPE capitation grant is released, there are so many competing needs. Buying art materials is the last thing on the list.’
Cultural shift and parental pressure
In today’s economy, where formal employment is highly sought after, creative skills are undervalued. Many parents discourage children from spending time on art-related activities.
‘My father used to beat me for sketching cartoons in my books,’ recalls 30-year-old Moses Wabwire, who struggled to pursue Fine Art in secondary school.
‘Parents don’t treat art as a career. It’s just play.’ ‘This perception has trickled down into classrooms, where children themselves view art and crafts as ‘less serious’,’ he added.
Lack of training, overcrowded classes
Experts also point to inadequate teacher training in creative subjects. ‘We were only taught the basics during teacher training,’ said a teacher from Budaka Primary School.
‘Without passion, most teachers just ignore it.’ Large class sizes also make it difficult to carry out art and crafts, which require hands-on supervision. The decline of creative subjects, educators warn, is a threat to innovation. ‘Creativity is not just for artists, it is essential for doctors and leaders,’ one expert noted.
‘By sidelining arts, we are raising children who may pass exams but struggle to innovate.’
Still, some students continue to hold on to their creative dreams. ‘I love drawing flowers,’ a student said.
‘One day, I want to be an artist.’ The competence-based curriculum for secondary schools has sparked calls to apply a similar model at the primary level, giving weight to creativity and life skills.
In Kibuku District, the inspector of schools, Ms Leticia Nabirye, confirmed that art and crafts is still on the timetable, usually between 3pm and 4pm but poorly implemented.
‘These activities are meant to be done, but our teachers have developed a negative attitude. They think learners should be in class all the time,’ Ms Nabirye said.
‘The innovations by the Education ministry often have good intentions. We need to re-awaken the system. Thanks to some schools such as Nabiswa that are still practising them.’
She urged schools to use locally available materials to teach skills. ‘We should not build that negative attitude that there are no raw materials.
As a district, we intend to hold showcase competitions to identify talents,’ she said. She also challenged head teachers to embrace these activities, as they build practical future life skills.