23 Kakumiro PLE pupils to sit maths exam on Nov 30

Twenty three pupils of St Christine Primary School in Kakumiro District, who missed the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) math paper, will sit for a special paper on Wednesday, November 30.
The Kakumiro District inspector of schools, Ms Mary Kyfouna, said the exam will be done at 9am at Kyakuterekera Primary School, which is about 4 kilometres from St Christine Primary School.
‘‘We agreed with the Uganda National Examination Board (Uneb) to have the paper at Kyakuterekera Primary School because it is near the candidates’ school. However, we will maintain the sitting centre as Mpasana Primary School,’’ Ms Kyofuna said at the weekend.

She said three of the candidates from the school, who had been included in the group that missed the maths exam, had reported early to Mpasana Primary School and did the exam.
“I want to warn teachers and school directors against this form of negligence. We have suffered financial loss because of the school director who is up to now missing,’’ Mr Kyofuna said.

Consensus
On November 17, the Uneb Executive Director, Mr Dan Odongom said the decision to set a special paper followed a consultative meeting between the examination body and Education minister Janet Museveni.
“Accordingly, a consultative meeting was held between Uneb and the Education ministry, chaired by Ms Museveni. It was agreed that considering the exceptional circumstances under which the vulnerable candidates missed their examination after fulfilling the requirements, the board administers another mathematics paper to the affected candidates,’’ Mr Odongo said in a statement.

He, however, warned that this was a one-off undertaking that should not be a precedent.
Mr Deo Ndahayo, a parent from Tuhumwire Village in Mwitanzigye Sub-county, welcomed the decision.
“I am happy to hear that our children will sit for another paper. We were worried and had lost hope,’’ Mr Ndahayo said.

Ian Kaweesi, a primary seven candidate who missed the mathematics paper, said he has been energised by the Uneb decision.
“I am going to read and prepare for the paper. I had lost hope and I was thinking about repeating Primary Seven next year,’’ Mr Kaweesi said.
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, St Christine Primary School had about 440 pupils from the nursery section to Primary Seven. However, by the end of the second term in 2022, the school enrolment had dropped to 132.
A source from Kakumiro, who did not want to be named so that he speaks freely, told Daily Monitor that the district is looking for close to Shs1 million to facilitate the exercise.

BACKGROUND
      
    The candidates, who were registered at Mpasana Primary School Uneb centre in Mpasana Town Council, were stopped from doing the maths paper on November 8 after arriving one hour and 16 minutes late.
     The school director, Mr Pascal Asiimwe, said they lacked a vehicle to transport the candidates to the examination centre.
    The candidates were only allowed to sit for social studies in the afternoon.
    On November 16, the Kakumiro chairperson, Mr Joseph Sentayi, petitioned Uneb, seeking a special consideration for the candidates.