The National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) has revised the Ordinary Level science curriculum.

The NCDC Director General, Charles Gahima, said last week the revision is one of the strategies to promote science and technology in the country.

"For that reason we are revising the science syllabus for better ways of teaching the subjects,” Gahima said.

He was closing a training course for 38 science teachers from different districts at NCDC offices. Other 1,500 science teachers will be trained in November.

Gahima said they are preparing teachers to cope with the new teaching system of biology, chemistry and physics.

NCDC is working with the Belgian Technical Cooperation (BTC) to support science education in lower secondary education project, he said.

The revised curriculum puts more emphasis on practical studies other than theories, Gahima explained.

He said BTC helps NCDC to implement the new programme with the trainings, revision of the syllabus and has offered Frw280 million to buy books for students.

The syllabi begin January, 2008, but relevant text books are expected in the country by next April.

However, the syllabus and books detailing the new format (reference books) have been given out.

Gahima further said that schools will have to use sets of science kits instead of their usual laboratories since the labs were no longer relevant to the revised science disciplines.

Marie Sophie Waterkeyn, a BTC technical assistant, said the programme is in line with two strategic priorities in the education sector; the implementation of the nine-year basic education for all, and a voice on science education.

"I hope that more students will enjoy sciences and will be performing well,” she said
Piere Clavér Rudaseswa, a science teacher at École de Science de Byimana, said that the training helped them to know that the new curricula would more practical than theoretical.
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