Uganda Senior Four History Curriculum

This curriculum focuses on developing understanding through evidence analysis, inquiry, and application of historical knowledge. It aims to cultivate self-assured individuals, responsible citizens, lifelong learners, and positive contributors to society. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and cooperation skills. It also integrates cross-cutting issues such as environmental awareness, health awareness, life skills, and citizenship. History and Political Education is a compulsory subject.

Term 1: Understanding Our Past

• Finding Out About Our Past: This topic explores the meaning of history and political education, different methods of historical research (both modern and traditional), and the importance of historical sites in Uganda and East Africa.
• The Origin of Man: This topic examines various theories about the origin of man, including traditional East African beliefs, biblical creation stories, scientific theories (such as Darwin's theory of evolution and the Out of Africa theory), and the multi-regional theory.
• Migrations and Settlement into East Africa since 1000 AD: This topic covers the pre-19th century inhabitants of East Africa, the origins and migrations of the Bantu, Luo, and Ngoni peoples, and the effects of these migrations.
• Culture and Key Ethnic Groups in East Africa: This topic explores the concept of culture, key cultural institutions and their leaders, cultural centers, ethnic groups, the contribution of cultural handicrafts, the importance of respecting diverse cultures, traditional transitional justice mechanisms, and the role of culture and gender in family matters.
• State Formation in East Africa: This topic examines centralized and decentralized pre-colonial states in East Africa, including their organization, leadership, reasons for growth and decline, and comparisons with current states.

Term 2: Colonisation and the Struggle for Independence

• Religions in East Africa: This topic explores the traditional religions of East Africa, the arrival and influence of Christianity and Islam in the 19th century, missionary activities, and the Uganda Martyrs.
• Local and External Trade Systems in East Africa Before 1880: This topic covers pre-colonial trade systems, the Indian Ocean trade and its impact, the relationship between the slave trade and Indian Ocean trade, the abolition of the slave trade, and the East African Long Distance trade.
• Scramble, Partition, and Colonization of East Africa: This topic examines the reasons for European and Asian arrival in East Africa, the methods of colonization, the impact of colonization, and the colonization of the rest of Africa.
• Response to the Establishment of Colonial Rule in East Africa: This topic explores the concepts of collaboration and resistance, key agreements with colonialists (such as the 1900 Buganda Agreement), the impact of these agreements, and the significance of the 1923 Devonshire White Paper in Kenya.
• Struggle for Independence in East Africa: This topic examines the rise of nationalism, different approaches used to demand independence, steps taken in the struggle for independence, and comparisons between the independence struggles of different East African states.

Term 3: Uganda

• The Structure of Government in Uganda: This topic covers the differences between a country, nation, state, and government; the structure of the Ugandan government (including its three arms); different systems of government in East Africa; and comparisons with other systems of government.
• Local Government Systems in Uganda: This topic examines the role, structure, contributions, and challenges of local government systems in Uganda, as well as the levels of local courts.
• Constitutionalism in Uganda: This topic explores the importance of the national constitution, national symbols, and values; constitutional reviews since 1962; the role of citizens in the constitutional process; the structure and roles of the Ugandan parliament; the roles of the police, prisons, and army; and the role of the judiciary.
• Democracy and Leadership in Uganda: This topic covers the meaning and features of democracy, political parties (their formation, roles, and challenges), the benefits of democratic countries, and different types of leadership in communities.
• The United Nations Organisation and its Impact on Uganda: This topic examines the history, aims, structure, roles, and functions of the UN, its subsidiary bodies, its contributions to peace and development in Uganda, and the promotion of human rights.
• The Evolution of Human Rights in Uganda: This topic covers the difference between rights and responsibilities, ways of violating human rights, the importance of respecting human rights and the rule of law, and the benefits of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• The Post-Independence Liberation Struggles in Uganda: This topic examines the 1967 Uganda Crisis, events leading up to the crisis, the 1971 coup, the 1980 general elections, and the 1980-85 civil war.
• Patriotism in Uganda: This topic explores the meaning and purpose of patriotism, patriotic events since independence, and the impact of patriotism.
• Key Contributors to Nation Building in Post-Colonial Uganda: This topic examines the contributions of key figures in Ugandan politics, health, education, religion, entertainment, and the economy since independence.

Term 1: Interactions with the World

• Lessons from World Economic Transformations: This topic explores the growth of capitalism and socialism, the economic transformations of Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, and lessons for Uganda.
• Pan-Africanism, Political and Economic Federation in Africa: This topic covers the East African Community (EAC), the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), the Economic Organisation of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union (AU), and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
• Neo-colonialism in East Africa: This topic examines the concept of neo-colonialism, its manifestations, its impact on post-independence East Africa, and potential solutions to its challenges.
• Globalization: This topic covers key terms related to globalization, Uganda's imports and exports, the advantages and disadvantages of globalization, and its impact on Uganda.
• Lessons from Liberation Struggles in South Africa: This topic examines the apartheid policy, the struggle against apartheid, key figures in the struggle (such as Nelson Mandela), and lessons for other countries.
• Peace, Conflicts, and Resolution in East Africa: This topic covers recent conflicts in East Africa, different forms of conflict, the causes and resolution of conflicts, the impact of conflicts, traditional transitional justice mechanisms, and conflict resolution in modern governments.
• Topical Review and Final Revision: This topic provides a review of the key themes and concepts covered in the curriculum and allows for final revision and preparation for examinations.