**2. Policy initiatives to advance and promote STEM education**

Over the years, there have been a number of policy initiatives in the country focusing on advancing and promoting STEM education. These initiatives aim at improving the curriculum, providing necessary resources, supporting teacher training and development, collaborating with international partners, and emphasizing research and development. For example, Uganda is shifting its curriculum away from reinforcing gender stereotypes and portraying females as inferior to males. Efforts are being made to create a more gender-inclusive curriculum. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) and the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) are working to remove gender biases from mathematics and science textbooks. Practical learning through experiential methods, experiments, and projects is being introduced to make STEM subjects more engaging and useful.

Similarly, various policies and strategies are being implemented to provide STEM labs and educational institutions with the necessary tools and supplies for conducting experiments. Access to digital materials and technologies is being expanded to ensure that instructors and students have equal access to computers and the internet. Thirdly, initiatives have been put in place to provide STEM instructors with opportunities for professional development. These programs address social factors such as negative

#### *STEM Education and the Role of the HEAC in Uganda DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.114040*

gender stereotypes and biased teacher attitudes that favor boys over girls in STEM disciplines. Specialized training is also offered to enhance subject matter expertise. Additionally, the government increased the monthly pay for science teachers by 300 percent effective July 2021 to the equivalent of US \$1066 for a graduate and US \$800 for Grade V teacher. The aim is to attract and retain talented STEM educators in the related subjects.

Fourthly, the government is keen on promoting science, technology and innovation to create a knowledge-based economy. To achieve this, it collaborates with international organizations and foreign governments to access funding, expertise, resources, and best practices in advancing and promoting STEM education. For example, the Uganda Millennium Science Initiative, funded by the World Bank, is a notable example of this collaboration and partnership. In addition to the above, by recognizing the importance of research and development in STEM education, the government emphasizes a reliable method of gathering information on the outcomes of STEM education. The data collected aids in decision-making and improvements. In this agenda, monitoring and evaluation systems are vital for collecting data on STEM education outcomes and using it to continuously improve and adjust policies.

In summary, Uganda is committed to advancing STEM education through a number of all-inclusive policy initiatives. Some of these are tailored curriculum reviews, targeted resource budgeting and provision, teacher training, collaborations with international partners, and an emphasis on research and development. The aim is to foster a more inclusive, engaging, and effective STEM education system in the country.
