Smooth start to S6 examinations across the country

The Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations kicked off smoothly on November 13 despite disruptions caused by heavy rains and poor roads in some districts.

Ms Jennifer Kalule, the spokesperson  of Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb),  said: “We did not receive any major challenges. We experienced the rains in the morning but at UACE level, examinations are picked by heads of centres from the station and they all braved the rains to pick them. We did not have reports of late start due to rain.”

She, however, observed that in some centres, some invigilators arrived late.

“I don’t have the names of the stations yet but I think they will be handled administratively. We caution them to be at the centres in time,” she said.  

“They need to arrive before 8:30 to prepare the centre, check the candidates, and ensure that social distance between candidates is maintained and that special needs candidates have what they need to do exams,” Ms Kalule added.

In Kampala, the early morning downpour did not affect the examinations’ process.

At Mengo Senior Secondary School, Nakasero Secondary School, Mbogo High School, and Mackay Memorial College in Nateete, the candidates settled in their respective examination rooms before 9am.

Ms Dorothy Kiggundu, an administrator at Mengo Senior Secondary School revealed that students at this school started attempting the first paper at exactly 9am.

Ms Kiggundu said they didn’t face any hurdles and that the candidates had been prepared well enough, raising the administration’s hope that their learners would excel.

“The students were briefed on Friday and we urged them to adhere to instructions. Reading instructions gives the students clear guidance of what one has to answer and also makes them settle in case of any sort of panic,” she said.

A total of 860 students registered for UACE at this school.

At Mackay Memorial School, the head teacher, Ms Mary Mukasa Kalyango, said students, invigilators and school administrators had to brave the morning downpour to ensure that the exercise kicks off at 9am.

Like Ms Kiggundu, Ms Kalyango was confident that her candidates had adequate time to prepare for the national examinations and was optimistic that they will perform well.

According to Uneb, a total of 110,569 candidates were registered to sit for the 2023 exams of which 43 percent (43,227) are female while 57 percent (631,342) are male.

In Ntungamo, Bushenyi, Moyo, Mityana, Rakai, Kyotera, Kalangala, Mpigi, Butambala, Buvuma, Buikwe, Gomba, Lyantonde and Kalungu, among other districts, the students had to brave the downpour to sit for their first examination papers of History and Mathematics.

In the central region, the downpour, coupled with bad roads contributed to late delivery of examination materials to some schools.

In Mityana, Rakai, Kyotera, Kalangala, Mpigi, Butambala, Buvuma, Buikwe, Gomba, Lyantonde and Kalungu, the rains forced candidates to begin exams after the stipulated 9am.

Most schools in Wakiso District such as Trinity College Nabbingo, King’s College Budo, Hope Boarding SS, Lutembe SS, Buddo SS, Galaxy College Wakiso, Nsangi Secondary School, St Lawrence colleges, and Mugwanya Summit College in Kyengera, had the candidates start their first paper by 9:15am.

Mr Fredrick Kiyingi Kinobe, the Wakiso District education officer, warned schools against engaging in examination malpractices, insisting that any candidate caught will have the papers cancelled.

“I advise teachers to let candidates write their papers without assisting them in any way because the time for teaching ended,” he said.

He also tasked invigilators to report all school heads who entice them with gifts and money to help their students during exams. 

Between 25,000 and 30,000 candidates from more than 550 schools are sitting for their UACE in Wakiso District. 

Unlike Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) and Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), which are transported by different officials assigned by Uneb, UACE exams are transported by head teachers of various schools. 
 
Mr Lawrence Luyimbaazi, the head teacher of Wakiso Secondary School,   said some head teachers have no vehicles which complicates transportation of exam materials during the rainy season.

Mr Patrick Zziwa, the Bukomansimbi District education officer, said by 2pm, no serious incidents had been registered in the area.

“Our team, together with Uneb officials, are on the ground and we have not experienced any incident worth reporting about,” he said.
 
Mr Stephen Ssemutono, the Rakai District education officer, said although there was rain in most parts of the district during morning hours, it did not interrupt the day’s examination programme in any way.

“It started raining an hour after exam materials had reached most centres and I am sure there was no delay caused by rain,” he said. 

Masaka City principal  education officer Steven Kakeeto said the first day went on well with no cases of malpractices reported and exam materials were delivered at most centres a few minutes past 9am due to rain.

In Mukono District, the first paper started amid downpour.  

Rain started at night until 9am yesterday but many school head teachers braved the rain to pick examination materials.
 
Some candidates were seen as early as 6am walking to different schools. 
 
Dispatch of examination materials at Station 003 started at around 08:45 am and ended at 09:15am.
 
Mr Constantine Mpuuga, the Station 003 superviser,  urged school heads to desist from engaging in examination malpractices to avoid penalties.
 
The chief scout for Station 003, Mr Evans Otigo, warned school heads against closing gates during examination hours, saying this facilitates cheating.
 
Mr Gordon Katimbo, the head teacher of Hilton High School in Mukono, said weather challenges, especially coldness, affect candidates with asthmatic conditions. He advised candidates to wear  sweaters.
 
In Bushenyi, the examinations started in time.
 
Mr Sostine Mubangizi, the head teacher of Kyeitembe Vocational Secondary School, said the rain was light.

Mr Peak Kamugisha, the head teacher of St Kagwa High School in Bushenyi, said they had to ebrave the rain to ensure that the examinations went on as planned.

Mr Dan Mugyenyi, the Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality education officer, said there was no cause for alarm as the head teachers handled the disruptions caused by rain.

In Moyo, Mr Anthony Vuciri, the Uneb area superviser, said they also experienced disruptions caused by rain. 

In Koboko District, the Uneb area superviser, Mr Francis Okeny, who is also the head teacher of St Charles Lwanga College Koboko, said they registered no disruptions.

At Koboko Town College, a total of 37 candidates, 13 boys and 24 girls, who registered for this year’s examination, all turned up.

Mr Bosco Endema, the head teacher of the school, said the examination papers arrived in time.

At Nyarilo Secondary School, out of 39 candidates registered, one dropped out, according to the deputy head teacher, Mr Yahaya Atibuni. 

“One student dropped out in the second term even after registration,” he said. 
 
In Mbarara, the head teacher of Mbarara Secondary School, Mr Godfrey Birungi, said they experienced rain in the morning hours but it did not disrupt the examinations.

Fr Godwin Muhangi, the head teacher of St Joseph’s Vocational Secondary School in Mbarara, said all the registered candidates at the school turned up for the exams.

Mr Charles Agaba, the head teacher of Ibanda Secondary School in Ibanda District, said the school received exams on time and there were no delays in distributing the papers.

 
In Kaliro District, the education officer, Mr Edward Kamaga, said they did not register any case of malpractice, adding that the exams arrived in time as well.

“The exams started well and so far there is no case reported,” he said.

The Ssezibwa police spokesperson, Ms Hellen Butoto, said the region has not yet registered any form of malpractice.

In Tororo, a total of 1,140 candidates were registered to sit for exams. While handing over the examination papers to the head of examination centres, the Tororo Uneb area superviser, Ms Beatrice Akware Lumonya, warned against malpractice.

In Mbale City,  most of the schools visited, including Mbale Secondary School, Nkoma Secondary School, Mbale High School, and Mbale Progressive Secondary School, among others, started examinations at exactly 9am. 

The Elgon police spokesperson, Mr Rogers Taitika, said they had not registered any case of examination malpractice by press time.

“We are monitoring the situation but so far no case has been reported,” he said.

In Pader District, a total of 20 candidates were registered to sit for exams at Archbishop Flynn Secondary School in Pader Town Council and 53 students at Pajule Secondary School in Pajule Town Council.
 
Mr Rashul Odokopira, the Archbishop Flynn director of studies, said the school registered a drop in the number of UACE candidates by three candidates from last year.
 
Mr Francis Olwoch, the Pader District inspector of schools, said security, trained scouts and invigilators had been fully deployed.
 
In Amuru District, Ms Lilly Amono, the head teacher of Keyo Secondary School, said the exams started on time and all the candidates reported. 

In Soroti City, the head teacher of Community Secondary School, Ms Joyce Mary Atima, said their candidates were forced to start the examinations late due to the delayed delivery of materials.

Mr Wilfred Oluka Okeriau, the head teacher of Soroti Secondary School, said 479 candidates sat for the examinations.

Compiled by Fred Wambede, Al Mahdi Ssenkabirwa Joseph Omollo, Elly Katahinga, Julius Byamukama, Jovita Kyarisiima, Jane Nafula, Felix Ainebyoona,  Denis Edema, Jesus Okello Ojara, Gladys Lakareber, Felix Warom Okello, Scovin Iceta, Rashul Adidi, Ronald Acema and Robert Elema, George Muron, Robert Muhereza, Emmanuel Arineitwe  Naume Biira, , Noeline Nabukenya , Richard Kyanjo ,Joseph Kiggundu,Diphas Kiguli.