New Islamic Theology Curriculum to be Ready Next Year
KAMPALA – Islamic theological schools will have a curriculum effective next year courtesy of the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) and the Uganda National Examination Committee for Idaad and Thanawi (UNECIT).
The new curriculum will replace the existing Islamic national curriculum which UNECIT has been using to examine learners at Idaad (O-level) and Thanawi (A-level) over the past ten years.
Speaking during the release of the 2022 national Idaad and Thanawi examination results, the UNECIT chairman, Dr Abdul Hafiz Walusimbi said that the review of the current curriculum is intended to make it compatible with the local setting.
“The ongoing curriculum is designed according to the Asian setting and we have realised that there is a need for the curriculum to address the local challenges in teaching along with Islamic principles,” Dr Walusimbi said.
IUIU established UNECIT to set a national standard for teaching and examining students at both Idaad and Thanawi levels.
The new curriculum will incorporate non-Arabic subjects such as English and technical skills to benefit students undertaking purely theological studies.
“Currently, our curriculum is purely focused on Arabic subjects. We are considering the possibility of introducing the teaching of the English language to boost the learners’ communication skills,” Dr Walusimbi said.
Also under consideration is how students will balance secular and theological studies.
“We want to see if students doing both have enough time or if there is a need to reduce the number of subjects and possibly merge some of them,” Sheikh Walusimbi added.
The IUIU rector, Dr Ismail Gyagenda pledged the university’s willingness to support the process of reviewing the curriculum and having it accredited by the relevant authorities.
“We have already received requests from other countries that want to be part of the exercise, and compare their curriculum with ours in order to agree on a harmonised curriculum. It will no longer be Ugandan but rather East African curriculum,” he said.
The Exam Results
A total of 461 candidates sat for last year’s exams at both levels, presenting an increase of 134 candidates compared to the 327 who sat the previous year.
At Idaad, out of 380 candidates who registered, 33 failed while five did not sit for the exams.
Out of the 75 candidates that registered for the Thanawi exams, three failed while one did not sit for the papers.
“The best students in Thanawi were Ibrahim Ndugga from Buziga Islamic Theological Institute and Nashiiba Namulindwa from Masaka Islamic Centre both with 93.9 points,” said Dr Hassan Ibrahim Kiyinji, the UNECIT executive secretary.
The best three candidates at Idaad namely, Kauthara Mirembe, Nazif Muhammad Kimera and Umar Muhammad each with 96.3 points are all from Kawempe Muslim School.
