Smooth start to senior four exams across Uganda

Invigilators have been asked to be strict on time management and examination papers that will arrive at the collection centre 30 minutes late will not be accepted without convincing reasons.

Day one of the Uganda Certificate of Examinations (UCE) kicked off yesterday without major hitches in many districts across the country.

Candidates under the new curriculum started with Mathematics Paper One in the morning, followed by Chemistry Paper One in the afternoon while those doing transitional exams wrote Chemistry Paper Three and Music Aural Paper One respectively.

Unlike in previous years where the first day of exams is usually interrupted by rains, the sky was clear for the better part of yesterday in most districts.

However, in some districts such as Kiryandongo, there were attempts to block more than 50 candidates of Kibanda Secondary School who had not cleared fees. It took the intervention of district officials to allow the candidates to sit their first examination paper.

In other districts such as Buikwe, Tororo and Masaka, the early morning rain forced candidates to begin exams an hour after the stipulated 9am.

For a number of schools in the eastern district of Tororo, the head teachers picked examination papers late because they were delayed by an early morning downpour.

Those mostly affected were using boda bodas and connecting to rural and hard-to-reach areas in district.

While handing over the examinations papers at the collection centre, the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) area supervisor for Tororo, Ms Beatrice Akware, asked the head teachers to exhibit high level of integrity, observe time management and open doors to the scouts.

Meanwhile, the Uneb chief scout for Tororo area, Mr Jimmy Otim Obua, advised school heads to secure proper bags that will help protect examination papers from getting soaked when it rains.

He asked invigilators to be strict on time management, adding that his team will not accept receiving examination papers that will arrive at the collection centre 30 minutes late without convincing reasons.

"We understand that some of the schools are far, but it shouldn’t be an excuse for late deliveries of examination papers because we shall treat this as insubordination and Uganda National Examinations Board will not treat this with a smile,’’ he warned.

Wakiso

In Wakiso District, school head teachers were asked to look at posting letters of invigilators and supervisors, citing last year's case where a masquerader posed as a supervisor. “I advise the school heads to ensure the invigilators have national identity cards to minimise cases of imposters,” Mr Charles Lwanga, the deputy RDC in charge of Nansana Municipality, said.

At Nabweru Police Station, teachers arrived at the exams distribution centre at exactly 8am and by 8:30am, the exercise had started off.

At Lugoba High School, students who had not cleared school fees were first denied access to the examination rooms and by 9:20am, candidates were still receiving clearance cards before doing the exams.

One of the teachers at the school, who preferred anonymity, said they wanted to first ensure that parents and guardians give a clear payment plan for fees balances.

“Even for candidates with fees balance of as less as Shs20,000, their parents had to first give us assurance that they will pay our money at a specified date,” a female teacher said.

Ms Jennifer Kalule, the Uneb spokesperson, assured head teachers that results for candidates with unpaid fees would not be released until balances were cleared.

"This is a big threat to the security of the examinations and greatly affects the performance of the candidates. The board will work with schools to put in place measures to assist them recover their fees at the time of the release of the results,’’ Ms Kalule said.

In the island district of Kalangala, a total of 166 candidates sat for their exams in the three existing secondary schools in the area.

At Serwanga Lwanga Memorial Secondary School, one of the 89 candidates registered didn’t show up yesterday.

“We called her mother who informed us that the student was sick and will be unable to sit the exams. We also have a four-month pregnant candidate sitting her papers. We allowed her relative to be at the school for any help she would need and invigilators where informed of her condition to see that she does her exams successfully,’’ Mr John Paul Eongo, the deputy head teacher, said.

Ms Cathy Kabashoka, the district inspector of schools, said despite Kalangala being a hard-to-reach area, exam materials reached most centres in time and the majority of the candidates reported early enough to sit the first paper.

"It has been a good start and we just pray that all goes well throughout the entire examination period,’’ she said.

Soroti

At Soroti SS, the examination papers arrived half an hour late.

The head teacher, Mr Wilfred Oluka Okerieu, said the delay was a result of less examination papers, which they had to photo copy after seeking permission from Uneb.

“We realised that the papers were less by 18 and given the number we have, it took us longer to start,’’ Mr Oluka said.

He also acknowledged that two female candidates delivered babies, one delivered two weeks and another two days to exams but both managed to sit the exams together with 995 candidates.

In Buvuma, a total number of 162 registered to do their exams at three centres, however, three did not turn up yesterday.

Mr Hussein Bugembe, the Buvuma District Education Officer, said three of the candidates who missed exams on day one are all boys.

In Mbarara City, there was a little delay of five minutes for head teachers to pick examinations from Mbarara Central Police station.

At least 11 inmates at Mbarara Main Prison are among the candidates who are sitting exams across the country.

Ms Winnie Musanyana, the head teacher of Mbarara Main Prison School, said this is the fourth time inmates at the centre are sitting for final exams.

“This is the second time we are conducting final exams inside the prison, in the past, we used to take our candidates to outside schools. The pioneers of this year have been taught by inmate teachers and outside teachers from different schools,” she said.

At Mbale SS, Moses Buyera, the head teacher, said the examinations started well, though three out of their 823 candidates did not show up.

“We tried to contact their parents, but it looks like they also don’t know their whereabouts,” he said.

At Lakeside SS Nkoma in Buwunga Sub-county in Masaka District, 12 candidates were no the verge of missing exams after the head teacher vanished after collecting registration fees from parents. However, the intervention of Ms Mary Kabanda, the chairperson of private schools in Masaka District, saved the candidates .

The candidates started writing their mathematics exam at 10am.

In Arua City, the examinations kicked off well with little glitches, according to the city education officers.

While in Koboko District, at Nyarilo SS, at least 131 candidates reported on day one and one was missing. At least 7,000 candidates are writing their UCE exams in the district.

In Moyo, Mr Anthony Vuchiri, the area Uneb supervisor, said the examinations started well despite some rain experienced in the morning hours.

“We only have the challenge of limited chemicals for the practical exams and we have already communicated to Uneb,’’ he said.

At several schools in Kampala, such as Mengo Senior School, Old Kampala, Mackay Secondary School, and Lubiri High School, candidates were seen arriving by 7am and examinations started at 9am.

The 058 Kabale Police Station Uneb area supervisor, Mr Amos Ahimbisibwe, said examination materials for all the schools in his jurisdiction were successfully distributed by 8:30am with no major hindrances.

“There was no rain interference as it has been in the past and so far, so good,” Mr Ahimbisibwe said.

The head teacher for Kihanga SS in Rukiga District, Mr Onesmus Rukundo, said of the registered 177 UCE candidates for the exams, only two did not turn up for the Monday exams.

At Fort Portal Secondary School, Mr Regan Kateregga, said the candidates were delighted with the exams, as they found the questions aligned with what they had been taught in class.

"Candidates have whispered to me that the first exam was familiar, and what the teachers taught them was well-reflected in the exam questions,’’ he said.

In Masindi District, Mr Musa Mugusa, the head teacher for St Simon Secondary School, expressed confidence in the ongoing exams, stating that the process has been smooth and he expects good performance from the candidates.

In Bundibugyo District, at Bumadu Seed School Mr Enock Baluku, the head teacher, said of 167 candidates, one female candidate failed to report for exams because of pregnancy.

Mr Charles Mbonyebyombi, the Uneb area supervisor in Kisoro District, said the examinations began smoothly at all 26 centres under his jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the head teacher of Kabandi Secondary School in Nyarusiza Sub-county in Kisoro District, said of the 94 candidates registered, only one student withdrew from school prior to the final exams.

In the northern district of Omoro, about seven candidates did not report for exams. For example, at Koro SS, only one of the 72 candidates didn’t turned up on Monday.

Mr Lawrence Nyuma, the school’s deputy head teacher, said only candidates who attended classes in the third term have been allowed to sit.

He also revealed that the centre received less than the required number of question papers for the candidates. Instead of 74 copies, 70 were packed, forcing the invigilators to make photo copies.

In an interview, the Uneb area supervisor, Mr Christopher Opoka, said the head teacher for Kitgum High School, confirmed that no major irregularities were registered in the district and that the examinations were started early enough compared to the previous years .

Number of candidates

A total of 379,620 candidates registered for exams under both the new lower secondary curriculum and transitional exams under the old curriculum. Of these, more than 10,143 candidates will undertake the transitional examination under the old curriculum, while 369,477 are participating as pioneers of the new curriculum. Uneb deployed more than 100,000 individuals to man exams, including chief supervisors, invigilators, scouts and area supervisors.Today , candidates under the new curriculum will sit for Geography Paper One in the morning, followed by Biology (Theory) Paper One in the afternoon while candidates doing transitional exams will write Physics (practical ) Paper Three and IPS Art Still Life/Nature Paper Two.

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