By Ameria Nayebare,
NATIONAL
The Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) has made changes in the dates scheduled for transition examinations for candidates who failed last year’s UCE Exams.
“Following the Board’s engagement with District Education Officers (DEOs), the Board made further consultations on the modalities for conducting the UCE transition examination under the old curriculum, originally proposed for
June/July 2024. The Minister for Education and Sports has now advised that the period between June and July is too short for the repeaters to prepare and then sit for the examination,” said UNEB.
At the release of UCE exams on February 15, Prof. Celestino Obua, the Chairperson of the Uganda Examination Board (UNEB) said they were going to schedule exams for over 14,000 candidates who failed the exams because they cannot repeat under the new curriculum.
“In the past, candidates who would not have made it in an examination, such as this one, would repeat the examination in the following examination season. This will not be possible in 2024, as the examination format and other conditions will be drastically different,” Obua said.
According to Obua, students who sat the UCE examination in 2023 but would wish to repeat the examination, those who registered but did not sit the examination or dropped out due to illness or other conditions, those who missed the registration for the 2023 examination for various reasons, and adult learners studying on their own or at any learning facilities were eligible for resitting these exams.
In a twist of events however, the exams have been put on hold after the ministry of education anticipated lack of resources to students who failed to register in the previous sitting.
“The minister recognizes that learners who previously registered and sat under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) schools may not have resources to sit for the examination and as such, the government may take up the responsibility. Such repeaters should therefore, register from schools close to them.” UNEB said in a statement.
Additionally, UNEB said repeaters will register and write their exams together with candidates under the new curriculum between October and November, 2024.
Affected learners have been advised to register under USE schools close or convenient to them meanwhile as the board prepares to issue out clear guidelines on the registration process.
