By Leonard Kamugisha Akida,
NATIONAL
The Uganda National Examination’s Board (UNEB) released the 2022 PLE results at State House Lodge Nakaseero on Friday.
Report by the UNEB shows that 83,2654 candidates had registered to sit for last year’s Primary Seven national exams, but only 811,810 candidates sat for the examinations. This means that about 20,844 (app. 2.5%) of upild missed the exams.
“Out of 811,810 candidates who sat for the exams, only 714,702 candidates passed PLE compared to 659,910 candidates than the previous year and this qualifies them to join the post primary institution,” report further reveals.
This means that 12% of the learners approximately 97103 failed PLE and are unable to further for post primary studies conducted by UNEB which puts lives of many pupils at the risk of dropping out of school
According to UNEB, a candidate is deemed to have passed if he/she obtains Divisional grades of
1, 2, 3 or 4. Such candidates will qualify to register for any post primary examination conducted by UNEB.
Speaking at the release of the results, Dan Odongo, the UNEB Executive Secretary advised that candidates who failed PLE should not be admitted to Senior One, but should repeat as they will not be eligible to register for the
Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examination later.
Disheartening still, the largest number of candidates who failed the exams were from government / government sided schools.
“Meanwhile Non UPE candidates have proportionally preformed batter than the UPE candidates due to the disparity in performance,” UNEB reported.
Patric Oboi Amuriat, the FDC president blames the increasingly rates of school dropouts and the number of learners failing in national examinations to mismanagement of the education sector largely by the minister of Education, Janet Kataha Museveni for not competently perform her desirable duties as the minister.
“These results indicate how Museveni and his family are committed to lower the standard of education in Uganda preside over an ignorant population devoid of knowledge and be able to manipulate them so that they may continue to live in power,” Amuriat said.
He asked policy makers and implementators in the education sector to feel the shame and find lasting solutions to the increasing rates of school dropouts despite the universal education which government boasts of.
“Some of the pupils that failed in PLE are going to fall out to become criminals, outlaws in society because there is no programme for them,” said POA.
He tasked government to layout strategies which they have for the pupils that failed in PLE.
“This high dropout rate should not be taken for granted. The public should pick interest in this deliberate mismanagement of the education sector and have it put to order,” he urged.
He challenged president Museveni and his wife who he referred to as a ceremonial minister of education who only makes a show when results are being released for not doing the work desired to them as well as not priotizing the education sector in Uganda.
In Uganda, governments pays $2 per pupil in the UPE school per year (app.Shs7,500 translating to av. Shs2,000 per term of 3 months) under the budget refunds towards the education sector. Amuriat says that the flactuating funds are unreliable to produce better results.
Meanwhile, the FDC president has further asked for the bridging of the gaps in salary disparities between Arts teachers and Science teachers.
“FDC proposes that the government develops a strategic master plan for those over 116,800pupils that transced to the next education level and this should be done every year.”
