PLE: “Trace For 12,000 Registered Candidates Who Didn’t Seat Exams”- Janet Museveni Instructs UNEB

By AWORI ESTHER LUCY & ROBERT KAMUKAMA

ENTEBBE, UGANDA-SHIFTMEDIA- First Lady and Education minister Janet Kataha Museveni has instructed Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) to trace for 12,000 pupils who registered but didn’t sit for the Primary Leaving Examinations.

While releasing the 2020 PLE results at State House Entebbe, Janet Museveni noted with concern the high rate of candidates who register and don’t seat exams.

“The numbers are big. We need to find out why pupils register and don’t seat for exams. I implore UNEB to get in touch with Local Governments across the country and district education officers to trace for these pupils. We need to know why they didn’t seat yet they registered,” she instructed.

Out of the 749,761 candidates registered, only 736,942 sat the examinations. Meaning a total of 12, 819 didn’t seat.

The UNEB Executive Secretary James Odongo said 659,910 candidates passed the exams held in March 2021

Odongo said despite the Covid 19 pandemic, there was a registered improvement in performance and number of candidates with an increase of 68.4%  compared to 695, 804 registered in 2019.

Out of the 749, 761 registered candidates, 513, 085 were from UPE schools, while 236, 677 were from private schools.

A total of 81,864 candidates scored division one, while 416,575 candidates (56.7 per cent) passed in division two, and 562, 717 (76.6 per cent) in division three.

Odongo noted that 659,910 (89.8 per cent) passed in division four, while 74, 878 pupils failed the examinations.

Meanwhile, 2,220 candidates have had their results withheld for suspected examination malpractice. The majority are from Bundibugyo and Kasese regions. Odongo said the malpractice included teachers assisting candidates with answers and hiring third parties to seat for candidates among others.