Senior Four exams kick off smoothly

She said they did not register any case of exam malpractice.  

“As a board, we are happy to announce that examinations started off smoothly in all parts of the country, despite the disruptions by rain. The papers were at the stations in time,” Ms Kalule said, adding that the downpour was experienced in some parts of northern, eastern, western and central Uganda. 

Despite a directive by the Ministry of Education and Sports to allow students with school fees balances to sit for their exams, some schools have defied the directive.

“But we got the Education ministry to intervene and they were left to sit. I am praying that no one misses an examination. We also had a case of a school in Kampala which had refused pregnant candidates to write their examinations yet they were fully registered. The ministry also intervened and they were allowed to write their papers but in the presence of a nurse,” Ms Kasule added. 

She said one candidate in Adjumani District was reported to be hospitalised in Adjumani Hospital and was unable to write the examination.

Exams started on time

At several schools and Uneb distribution centres that our reporters visited, the examination papers had already arrived and by 9am, many of the Senior Four candidates in urban centres were ready for their first paper.

At Mengo Senior School, Mbogo High School, Nakasero Secondary School and Mackay Memorial College Nateete, students had already settled in the examination rooms and were being briefed.

Other students were being checked by the invigilators. 

Ms Mary Mukasa Kalyango, the head teacher of Mackay Memorial School, said at 9am, the students had already started attempting their Geography Paper 1.

“We have been preparing the candidates for such papers and students are ready to excel. The students were briefed last Friday and we urged them to adhere to instructions. The reading instructions give the students clear guidance of what one has to answer and the ability to avoid exam panic,” she said.

At Mbogo High School, by 8:45pm, most of the students were in the examination room.

Ms Zaujah Ndifuna, the director of Mbogo High, said they had cautioned candidates against getting involved in any form of examination malpractice.

“We condemn any exam malpractice as educationalists and head teachers, and Uneb is clear on cheating, once you get involved in any form of malpractice, the exam centre and results will be withheld too,’’ Ms Ndifuna said.  

Students shun UCE exams

While the 2023 examination calendar began yesterday with students sitting for their Geography Paper 1, some learners were a no-show.

For instance, seven students in Koboko and Kalanga districts have boycotted the national exams over unclear reasons. 

At St Charles Lwanga College, Koboko, two students did not show up at the school and their whereabouts remain unknown, according to the school head teacher, Mr Francis Okeny.  “We have realised that two candidates were not in the exam room. Of 90 candidates who should be sitting for UCE at our centre, only 88 candidates appeared,” he said. 

 In Kalangala District, two out of 45 registered candidates at Bishop Dunstan Secondary School did not show up, according to the school Director of Studies, Mr Muhammad Mulema. 

“A female candidate (name withheld) registered with us, but never came back this term saying she had no hope in education after failing to perform well during the beginning of term exams. A boy (also name withheld) also failed to show up after starting his own family,’’ he said. 

In Buvuma Islands, of the 153 candidates who registered at three examination centres, three did not show up. Mr Hussein Bugembe, the Buvuma District education officer, confirmed.

 Approximately 364,470 candidates have registered to sit for the UCE exams this year, marking a 4.3 percent increase compared to the 349,445 candidates who took the exams last year

Ministry directs on fees  

Following past incidents where school fees defaulters were barred from sitting for their exams, the Education ministry made it clear that school heads should permit candidates with school fees balance to sit for their exams.

Prior to the directive, the management of Mbale Progressive Secondary School, had blocked more than 50 candidates from accessing the examination room yesterday.

The director of basic education at the Education ministry, Mr Ismail Mulindwa said since the schools permitted the candidates to register, they should not be blocked from sitting exams.

He advised such schools to make an arrangement with the candidates’ parents to clear the outstanding fees balances after the exams.

Rain disrupt exams

Monday morning downpour experienced in several districts disrupted the exams.

Mr Jackson Ssengendo, the senior exam superviser in Kyotera District, said: “Some of our roads are bad, but boda bodas helped a lot in transporting the [examination] materials to some distant centres.”

Brother Charles Dominic Kagoye, the head teacher of Sacred Heart Kiteredde SS, said candidates at the centre were lucky that exams reached in time despite the morning downpour.

In Kalangala, examination papers arrived at the weekend and were distributed on Monday morning to the existing three exam centres that included Sserwanga Lwanga Memorial, Bishop Dunstan Memorial, and Bukasa secondary schools. 

In Masaka City, there was a delay for about 30 minutes as examination authorities and police sought permission from Uneb to allow them to cut a padlock on one of the boxes containing examination materials.

33-year-old among candidates

Meanwhile, the Church of Uganda lay leader, Mr Alex Bruce Tumushabe, was among the candidates sitting UCE exams in Rukiga District yesterday. 

Mr Tumushabe, who is attached to Ibugwe Church of Uganda, Kihanga Archdeaconry in Kigezi Diocese, is writing his final UCE papers at Kihanga Secondary School.

He said he dropped out of school in 2012 and opted to serve as a lay leader in the Church. He resumed studies to match the required qualifications to enable him serve as a lay leader.

“I intend to enrol for further studies in theology,” he said.  

Ms Enid Abampiire Niwabiine, 33, is another candidate at Kihanga Secondary School.

The mother of four children and a resident of Omukishenyi Village, Ibumba Parish, and Rwamucucu Sub-county in Rukiga District had dropped out of school 15 years ago.

“I decided to go back to school because of the numerous challenges I face due to lack of a UCE certificate,” she said.

Elsewhere

In Mbarara District, Monday’s morning downpour disrupted the examination exercise.

The rain started at around 7 am, making school administrators struggle to get the examination papers.

Mbarara District education officer Gabriel Ahimbisibwe acknowledged that in some hard-to-reach areas, candidates started writing papers late.

Mr Fred Bahati, the Ntungamo District education officer, said examinations started well despite the morning downpour that was experienced in some districts on Monday.

 In Lira City, the exercise kicked off smoothly in four selected schools visited by our journalists. 

In Bundibugyo, the exams started well amid heavy rains.  

Mr Geoffrey Muhumuza, the head teacher of Burambagira Secondary School in the hilly area of Ngamba Sub-county, said exams were delayed for close to one hour due to heavy rains that made the roads impassable.

At Fort Portal Secondary School, Mr Kateregga Regan, the school head teacher, said all the 122 registered candidates are writing their papers.

Journalists blocked

In Soroti, the situation was different. Uneb officials and school administrators blocked journalists from accessing their examination rooms.

Mr Geofrey Okoto, one of the school administrators at Soroti Secondary School, said: “Nobody, whether you are a journalist or a teacher or a student is allowed to enter the examination room, move closer to the cordoned-off area to either talk, carry out interviews or take pictures at the examination centre unless you are an authorised official from Uneb.” 

Dr Joseph Opul, the regional director of Quality Education Consultancy Limited in-charge of Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan, Congo and Rwanda, cautioned school administrators against initiating candidates into the habit of examination malpractices.

In Mbale District, about 1,077 students are sitting UCE exams at Nkoma Secondary School in Mbale City. It is one of the most populated schools in the area.

Mr Abubaker Kawaguzi, the head teacher, said the examinations started on time and that they had not registered any cases of malpractice.

“This year, 1,077 students are sitting exams compared to 1,290 students last year. The reason for decline is because we have been strict when it comes to discipline,” he said.

The Tororo-Butaleja Uneb area superviser, Ms Beatrice Alware, said unlike the previous years, this year, the examination materials arrived early.

Tororo and Butaleja districts have 37 and 15 Uneb sitting centres respectively. 

In Amuru, bad weather disrupted the smooth start of the 2023 UCE examinations in many schools in the district.

Kabale area Uneb coordinator Amos Ahimbisibwe said although the examination materials were distributed early enough, many examination centres received them late because the transporters were disorganised by the heavy downpour.

Compiled by Bill Oketch, Priscillah Maloba, Damalie Mukhaye, Fred Wambede, Joseph Omollo Ronald Acema, Karim Mayobo, Robert Muhereza, Naume Biira, Charity Akullo, Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Richard Kyanjo, Jessica Nabukenya, Gertrude Mutyaba, Jesus Okello Ojara, Hanifah Nanyanzi, Diphas Kiguli, Malik F Jjingo Denis Ssebwami, Ambrose Musasizi, George Muron, Longino Muhindo, Alex Ashaba, Rajab Mukombozi, Obed Kankiriho, Julius Byamukama and Micheal Woniala