Critically evaluate the UNEB’s UCE literature syllabus. a) Give the social, economic and political justification of the text on these syllabi b) If it were up to you, which texts would you select for these syllabi: Namale Aidah, Nyiramugisha Mary, Nakiyingi Racheal and Basemera Sandra

National Curriculum Development Center is a body responsible for preparing the syllabus of all the subjects taught in schools. Uganda National Examinations Board is the national assessment body in Uganda. As a public organization, it strives to maintain fair assessment in a bid to produce valid and reliable results. It sects texts to be set in examination picking these from general syllabus set by NCDC. UCE stands for Uganda Certificate of Education. It is a mandatory examination that certifies completion of lower secondary education programs. It is a requirement for students wishing to pursue an upper secondary education. The criteria based on while selecting texts is putting into consideration the social, political and economic aspects. The texts on the syllabus for UCE are; The curse of the Sacred Cow by Mary Karooro Okurut Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare Betrayal in the City by Francis Imbuga The Alien Woman by Lawrence Ocen Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol Growing up with Poetry by David Rubadiri Cowrie of hope by Sinyangwe MEMA by Daniel Mengara The aims of teaching literature are; To help students engage personally with a variety of texts and draw connections between self, texts and the world in order to develop intellectual emotional, socio-cultural and global awareness. To help learners develop personal skills of problem solving. A text like Carcass for Hounds. It is written by Meja Mwangi, it was first published in 1974 by Heinemann. It is set in Kenya during colonial periods depicting Kenya’s struggle for independence, it is a typical revolution gone bad story. The action takes place in Nanyuki town in Laikipia district. The story centers o general Haka a former village chief who becomes a Mau Mau warrior, he is looked for by Captain George Kingsley. The fight against colonialism in Kenya by the Mau Mau depicts it as a political novel. The text is justified on the syllabus because it equips students with the historical background. It helps them understand the value of natural unity In the struggle haraka dies disillusioned because of lack of support from other groups of fighters and he concludes that his are the only fighters left. But his men are no longer interested in fighting anymore since most do not even know why they are fighting in the first place. A Cowrie of Hope by Hope Sinyangwe It was published in 2000. The writer is a citizen of Zambia her aim is to uphold African values and dignity. A will is given to Sula with the respect to money and property. Nasula regards her daughters with education seriously. She is considered one of the most industrious and courageous women. It encourages students to be hard working. Betrayal in the City by Francis Imbuga The play is about Kafira a fictional independent country headed by Boss. The country experiences political upheavals as a result of oppressive dictatorial government. Social evils such as corruption, nepotism, arbitrary arrests, and assassinations are common in Kafira. A demonstration is organized by the students to protest against the influx of expatriate workers hence leads to the death of a student- Adika who is shot by police officer Chagaga. After Adika’s funeral, Mosese a lecturer is arrested for criticizing the government’s actions. Two soldiers Jere and mulili are sent to Adika’s home to prevent his parents from holding the customary sharing ceremony. Jere is arrested and Boss decides to have a play staged by prisoners because of an impending visit of a foreign head of state as a form of entertainment. Mosese and Jere are requested to take part in the play and Boss promises to set 600 prisoners free if the project is successful. Mr. Tumbo Boss’ assistant approaches Jusper requesting him to write a play for the occasion and promises Jusper good payment in return. The play is later acted by Mosese and Jere and using the guns, Jusper shoots Mulili in revenge. The social, political and economic justification of the text Betrayal in the City: This text helps students to reflect on the society they live in for instance when they read the text they are able to see the vices in society as they relate the text to the environment for instance the vice of bad governance as shown in the text whereby the government restricts freedom of expression for example rioting students of Kafira University are stopped violently by having their leaders shot dead. Weeping in public is illegal for the academic staff (Page 25). This reflects on Uganda where by Freedom of expression is restricted. People like Kiiza Besigye are arrested when they ‘Walk to work’. For instance there was a time when Besigye was even arrested from his home as he was thought of leading a strike (Walk to Work) yet this was not his intension. Economically, this text will encourage students to be hard working and committed to their work. In a way of avoiding corruption for example in the text, corruption is shown as it manifests itself in different forms, nepotism, favoritism, tribalism, among others for instance Boss is said to have taken foreign money from foreign countries. Mulili has been promised many acres of land and exotic cattle, Boss goes on to put his cousin Mulili in a senior government position so that he can inform him of every intricate detail in Kafira yet Mulili is illiterate and a non-performer who aims at acquiring wealth for himself. This will teach students on how to manage themselves and leadership skills and therefore appoint people who can help them in terms of advice and socially as they read the text, they can relate it to society for example ‘seya’ was once appointed Minister without portfolio meaning he was to be an overseer of other ministries yet it is said he even forged academic papers and was referred to as a conman. Therefore the justification of the text is for students to work hard so as to fit in the positions they want to be in and avoid nepotism and favoritism. In addition to this, the justification of the text socially, is that it helps the students to know what type of hearts people have and not to be taken by surprise thus learn how to deal with people, their loved ones and their leaders. For example this play is full of betrayal which ranges from cultural, interpersonal to political betrayal for instance Boss faces betrayal in the face of the play with in a play. Mulili clearly tells everybody that Boss is not his cousin and that there is no reason as to why Boss should not be killed. He goes ahead to enumerate Boss’ ills like spoiling the economy, ruling for too long and killing Kabilo. Boss’ wife is also betrayed when Boss opts to bring in another woman Regina into their home. Boss’ regime which has been put in place by the public betrays the public as they do not meet their promises for there is persecution of peasants like Adika and Kabito. Government betrays the people for not improving the welfare as Mosese says (Page 27-28) “…for years we wailed for the kingdom of heaven… our kingdom had come at last but it was an illusion”. This text is a concern for what goes on in the society among people’s lives. The students will learn to cooperate and remain loyal to their leaders unlike Mulili. This act of Mulili justifies the political situation of the country we live in as it has been said that Amama Mbabazi the former Prime Minister betrayed the president by standing against him and so has Prof. Bukenya who allegedly confirmed that he was against the president and conspired with Amama but then later reunited with the president. This thus teaches students to know what they want and be committed to it and thus even after a student reads this text and may be is not able to continue with school, he/she will reflect and know the kind of society he is living in and how people are. The second text chosen is Government Inspector by Nickolai Gogol. Government inspector is about the mayor and several other self-important officials of a small Russian town who mistake a small time con artist of an important government official. This official is known as Hlestakov. Hypocrisy and foolishness is exposed as the officials such as the mayor, the judge, the warden of charities, the inspector of school, the chief of police and the district physician offer extravagant gifts to impress their visitor at the same time as the visitor Hlestakov becomes reckless in his greed. The social justification of this text is that it teaches students management skills. This is shown in the text in the way that these officials tend to panic when they are given a notice that the government inspector’s coming. This panic is caused by lack of time management. The mayor and his officials have been receiving money and not catering for the native people thus they even suggest to bribe the government inspector so as not to write bad about them. Therefore, the mayor goes ahead to pick the so called government inspector from the hotel, pays his bills and caters for his meals, accommodation and welfare. However, if they had done the right thing in the first place, they would not have panicked hence students reading this text are enabled to learn how to manage time by doing the right thing at the right time. In addition to this, the text Government Inspector is justified on the syllabus on the social-economic way in that it teaches the students to be hardworking unlike Hlestakov who is shown to have not like hard work. This is shown in Act 2 where Osip goes on to tell us of how Hlestakov always wants more and better than what is available thus this motive is portrayed further in the fact that he takes (steals) the native’s money in form of loans. The mayor instead of working on hospitals and roads, spends money on the government Inspector trying to please him. Therefore learners learn to be hard working and avoid spending time and money in luxury for whatever one does catches with him or her. Socially, through the text, students learn to be prepared at all times unlike the officials in Government Inspector who do nothing but only await for the coming of the government inspector then begin to get serious acting as though they have been doing a lot of work. The social justification of the text on the syllabus is that it helps in moral upbringing through respect for elders for instance Anna and Maria in Act 3, Maria and Anne argue over who Hlestakov is attracted to. This is a sign of disrespect and hence students learn to respect their mothers (parents) because even Hlestakov was not a decent man. He was a conman and thus not suitable for Maria. This text also helps the student to evaluate on the social, political and economic setting of their societies for instance in Uganda. Scenes of how the peasants plead for mercy to the government inspector reflected in a way that they voted for their leaders to help them but they have been abandoned there are no schools, there is no medicine in hospitals, the leaders spend money on themselves not the concerns of the natives. The students learn therefore how to relate what goes on in the text to what goes on in society’s everyday life for example the government of Uganda spent over 500 million on the Kampala Carnival yet this money would have been used to cater for the medicine in hospitals, roads, among others. The Katosi road saga in Mukono where the government was expected to construct a road but the funds were embezzled so was the northern bypass. This therefore assists learners to relate the text to everyday life. Mema by Daniel Mengara This novel was published on March 8th 2004 and it is set in a country called Gabon. Mema is a reflective novel in the first person. It is about a young boy recollecting the days of his childhood and of his village and how things have perhaps changed. Elang Sima the narrator tells of his mother whom he referred to only as Mema, remained strong, physically and emotionally. In all her decisions refusing to succumb to traditional roles and societal pressures. Mema is known to be strong, bold and irrespressible. She has a proclivity to play all manly roles in her household, caring not what others would think of her. She attended all medzo instead of the husband and she was fluent, traditionally, interspersing her innuendo speeches with proverbs and wise sayings. Because of these characteristics she was loved and hated with equal measure. According to the latter group, her haters, was a witch. How a woman could virtually beat her husband was beyond comprehension, then her husband falls sick suddenly, she decides to send her husband to the Mimbiri camp. She was advised, diplomatically and physically not to send her husband to the Mimbiri camp for they are evil. Paying no heed to the incessant calls and pulling a machete to kill anyone who stands in her way, Mema takes her husband to this place where he would never return. A day after both of her daughters also die. With the convergence of events, she was labelled a witch and was treated with silent malevolence for none was bold enough to face her. The rest of the novel narrates how Mema resolved to protect this particular narrator, Elang Sima making sure that he receives the white man’s education so that he could become an important person in future like Osuga Zame, the eldest son and child of Mema’s husband’s sister who was fighting over her uncle’s children with Mema. Therefore this novel is a social portrayal of society. For all the power women yield collectively, though, the radical Mema finds that individuals who do not conform face a lonely road, shunned for displaying masculine traits and daring to use witchcraft (mimbiri) to try to heal her dying husband, she is forced out of society and must carve out her own road for herself and her child. By reading of this novel, students learn to abide by the societal rules and always heed advice so as to live acceptability with societal norms and desired customs. Furthermore, just like Mema who intersperses her innuendo speeches with proverbs and wise sayings, literature students learn to always quote their essays with evidence from the texts they are referring to. ALIEN WOMAN by LAURY LAWRENCE OCEN This novel was first published in 1999. It is a tale that takes us through rural and town life and lays out the conflicting ideas between the two. Notably the views on the novel’s setting is a district in northern Uganda which is basically rural. Its people practice witchcraft, are against education and believe that cattle and land are the only sources of wealth, more so they are firmly polygamous. The plot centers on the family Bicencio Olugo, his wife Cerina and their two sons Fred Opito and James Obina. Olugo is a poor man, has only one wife, no large heads of cattle, limited land and his only pride is his job as a local administrator. Despite his lack of wealth, he sends his children to school in the hope that they would lift his family out of poverty. An idea ridiculed by villagers especially Ogang for whom education is too long a way of acquiring money. Ogang is wealthy but refuses to educate his children, he is anti-social and practices witchcraft. Opito and Obina study had and do well at school. Opito doesn’t participate in cultural activities, hopes to marry an educated woman even if she is from another tribe. This worries his parents, obina still believes in cultural norms so he is set to marry from his own people. When Opito joins the school of technology, he finds the woman of his dreams, Gladys but he is rejected by his people and sent away in embarrassment. She decides to end the relationship and Opito is heartbroken. Ogang who all along is jealous of his progress sends him an evil spirit, an alien resembling Gladys. It keeps him company at night. Out of desperation he marries a village girl but the spirit still comes. When he is finally set free and his wife hopes for a normal marriage, Opito rejects her in fear that she might be another alien since she is moody and never laughs. Obina joins Makerere University where he meets Margaret Nagawa a daughter of a prominent businessman in Kampala. Margaret a real beauty has strong feelings for Obina but he cannot reciprocate them because she is from a different tribe. Margaret is determined to marry the man of their choice, Obina. She decides to follow him to the village. The events that follow show her determination, she is treated with lots of hard work, in the hope that she can go back to her people but she stays and endures all, even a burn from her rival, Obina’s betrothed. With time, her noble and unique conduct wins over Olugo and his family and they end up agreeing to the marriage between Obina and Margaret, the alien woman. The novel Alien Woman by Laury Lawrence Ocen is a social novel, this is because it portrays social practices such as witchcraft, polygamy, value for education among others. Opito and Obina from northern Uganda are grappling with the strict creed of their culture. Opito’s love, Gladys is rejected by Opito’s parents. Obina at first cant reciprocate Magaret’s love because of the strict creed of their culture. Furthermore, this social justification was portrayed in Uganda in the Toro Kingdom when Princess Komuntale of Tooro was at first refused from marrying her fiancée Christpher because he too was from a foreign culture. Therefore, the study of this book on syllabus is meant to teach the learners to eliminate cultural segregation and always respect one’s choice. The other social aspect depicted in this book is education for example in this novel, Olugo is ridiculed by Ogang a wealthy man who can’t educate his children and assumes that education is a long way to achieve wealth. Therefore, students reading this novel learn to value education since it transforms society and thus, unlike Ogang, they should send and encourage others to attain education. The vice of witchcraft is depicted in the novel by Obina and hence students are taught to avoid caring out such evil practices for they distort social peace and order. Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare This is a play by William Shakespeare in which a merchant in the 16th century Venice must default on a large loan provided by an abused Jewish money lender. It is believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. The play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic scenes. It is set in the city of Venice. Plot: Bassiano a young Venetian of noble rank, wishes to woo the beautiful and wealthy heiress Portia of Belmont. Having squandered his estate, he needs 3,000 ducats, to subscribe his expenditures as a suitor. Bassiano approaches his friend Antonio a wealthy merchant of Venice who has previously repeatedly bailed him out. Antonio agrees but since he is cash poor, his ships and merchandise is at sea he promises to cover a bond if Bassanio can find a lender, so Bassiano turns to the Jewish money lender Shylock and Hames. Antonio as the loan’s guarantor. Antonio has already antagonized Shylock through his outspoken anti-Semitism and because Antonio’s habit of lending money without interest forces Shylock to charge lower rates, Shylock is at first reluctant to grant the loan citing abuse he has suffered at Antonio’s hands. He finally agrees to lend the sum to Bassanio without interest upon one condition, if Bassanio is unable to pay it at the end of the specified date, Shylock may take a pound off Antonio’s flesh. Bassanio does not want Antonio to accept such a risk condition, Antonio is surprised by what he sees at the money lender’s generosity (no “Usance”-interest is asked for) and he signs the contact. With money and hand, Bassanio leaves for Belmont with his friend Gratiano who has asked to accompany him. Gratiano is a likeable young man but us often flippant, overly talkative and tactless. Bassanio warns his companion to exercise self-control and the two leave for Belmont and Portia. Meanwhile, in Belmont, Portia is awash with suitors. Her father left a will stipulating each of her suitors must choose correctly from one of the three caskets one each of gold, silver and lead. If he picks the right casket, he gets Portia. The first suitor, the Prince of Morocco chooses the gold casket, interpreting its slogan “Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire” as referring to Portia. The Second suitor, the conceited prince of Arragon chooses the silver casket which proclaims “Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves” as he believes he is full of merit. Both suitors leave empty handed having rejected the lead casket because of the baseness of the material and the uninviting nature its slogan, “Who chooseth the must give and hazard all he hath”. The last suitor is Portia whom Portia wishes to succeed, having met him before as Bassanio ponders his choice, members of Portia’s household sing a song which says that fancy (not true love) is engendered in the eyes with gazing fed. Bassanio chooses the lead casket and wins Portia’s hand. Justifications of this text are; A moral lesson of friendship is portrayed by William Shakespeare through the friendship of Antonio and Bassanio which proves that a true friend remains by your side when he himself is in credit, he does his best to help his friend. This is therefore helpful to students because learn to get to know each other in a more special and friendly way thus avoiding hatred among themselves. Antonio is generous, kind and has a good reputation and all these are good moral lessons towards students as they learn to grow up with such beautiful kind hearts hence a social justification. A moral lesson of sacrifice that is to say Antonio and Portia are especially entwined in both of these themes as they are constantly sacrificing themselves for the sake of Bassanio throughout the play and then are each given the opportunity to show mercy towards their sacrifice or mercy though it is because they have something to gain by doing so. The interactions between Antonio, Shylock and Portia play out the new set of economic interactions that accompanied the birth of capitalism though wealth in the book Merchant of Venice. Socially, the Merchant of Venice, shows the dynamics of love and to what extent humans will go to show love, they will use their wealth and even be prepared to give up their life for the people they love. Both Antonio and Portia love Bassanio differently. Socially, the Merchant of Venice shows religion was a major factor, it motivates action and reasoning, religion was more than a belief in a higher being. It reflected moral standards and ways of living. The play poses many questions concerning racial, religious and human differences. The play is especially tricky to examine in today’s society. Both in the economic and social perspective, the Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare has two main settings, one setting is Venice a city where many business men live, a place full of unhappy and unkind people. It is a world of commercial and law. Shakespeare has portrayed Venice as the reality world. b) If it were up to you, which texts would you select for these syllabuses I would select Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare because it portrays a social scene and a lesson of love between the two characters who persevered through all obstacles, although their two families were at conflict. Socially, lesson of sacrifice is learnt that is to say the way Romeo and Juliet sacrificed their families for their love, in other words, they chose their love (relationship) over their families which shows determination and being strong hearted. Literature in English (Romeo and Juliet) enables individuals to develop life skills and values as problem solving, conflict management, information gathering, negotiation, decision making, critical thinking, tolerance, sharing, respect, self-esteem and confidence. If it were up to me to choose the novels on syllabus, I would choose Alien Woman and Things Fall Apart by Lawrence Ocen and Chinua Achebe respectively. The reason as to why I would still choose Alien Woman by Lawrence Ocen is because it portrays social prejudices about education in some cultures, and via the plot depicts that education is good and accessible to all irrespective of one’s backgrounds. Thus it motivates learners to value education. The reason as to why I would choose Things Fall Apart by Ngugi wa Thiong’o is because of the portrayal of a character like Okonkwo who despite having a lazy father he works had to uplift his name, works had on his farm among others therefore, students are encourage to be successful. However, through Okonkwo character trait, students are taught to always think twice before acting because Okwonkwo’s lack of second thought led him to do things which he later regreted for example the killing of Ikemefuna who called him father after which he mourns his actions. References Francis Imbuga (1976); Betrayal in the City. East African Publishers, Nairobi Nikolai Gogol (1836); The Government Inspector. University of Chicago press, Chicago Binwell Sinyangwe (2000); A Cowrie of Hope Meja Mwangi (1974); Carcase for Hounds. Heinemann Limited, Nairobi Chinua Achebe (1958); Things Fall Apart. Heinemann Limited, Lagos William Shakespeare (1600); The Merchant of Venice. Oxford Publishers Laury Lawrence Ocen (1999); The Alien Woman