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Tears as 11 students fail to sit UCE exams
Uneb spokesperson Jennifer Kalule. PHOTO/FILE
The fate of at least 11 students of West Ville High School in Kabarole District hangs in the balance after it emerged that their head teacher did not register them for the ongoing Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) exams.
The school head teacher, Mr Edson Tumwine, who contacted the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) yesterday, said the students in question failed to confirm their registration in time for the exams.
Mr Tumwine claimed that by the time the candidates realised they had not been registered, it was already too late.
The Uneb spokesperson, Ms Jenifer Kalule, said Mr Tumwine approached Uneb on October 12, one day before the candidates’ briefing, requesting the examinations body to register the affected students.
“He came to Uneb on the eve of the briefing of candidates, which was practically not possible for the board to register these candidates since all packing procedures had been completed,” Ms Kalule said.
She added that Uneb has instructed the police to investigate how the students, who had paid their registration fees on time, were not registered due to their details not being sent to Uneb.
Ms Kalule revealed that the administration was willing to support the affected learners in case they are given another opportunity. The students have missed six papers since the exams began on Monday.
In a related development, three students from Kilembe High School in Mitooma District failed to show up on Tuesday for the Chemistry Practical exams after writing Geography papers on Monday.
School fees issues
Ten other students from Kawempe Crane High School were initially blocked from sitting for the first paper due to unpaid school fees. The situation escalated to the point where the students had to involve the police.
After police intervention, they were allowed to sit for the exams. However, three of the affected students could not reach the school within the 30 minutes stipulated by Uneb and missed the first paper.
Nevertheless, they were permitted to sit for Mathematics Paper Two in the afternoon.
Since the UCE exams began on Monday, Uneb has registered three major cases of malpractice.
One case involved a head teacher of a school in Kwania District, who allegedly brought the examination papers envelope cut below the seal.
Officials at the examination centre confirmed that the envelope was intact when he picked it up.
“We have handed him to the police to investigate what happened. Maybe someone tampered with the envelope and photocopied the exam or took pictures,” Ms Kalule said.
Another case involved two students from St Michael Secondary School, Nyagoma, who reportedly wrote each other’s index numbers in two Geography papers on Monday and attempted to do the same for the Chemistry practical, on Tuesday.
The third case involved a student from another school who allegdly wrote answers for the practical paper without conducting the practical sessions. All three candidates are currently under investigation by Uneb.
Malpractice allegations
In Nagalama, the police arrested a head teacher of a school in Kalagi over allegations of sharing electronic information purported to be Uneb examination papers. The suspect was said to be sharing the fake material from his phone, and extorting money from unsuspecting members of the public.
“He will be arraigned in court to answer to charges of aiding and abetting malpractice,” Ms Kalule said.
In Bushenyi, police arrested another head teacher for allegedly sharing information purported to be examination material for a Uneb Biology practical paper.
Students are expected to sit for the Biology practical in the morning and Commerce in the afternoon.
