Rédaction Africa Links 24 with The Observer
Published on 2024-01-31 09:49:13
Examination malpractice is still a significant concern for the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb), with teachers identified as the main culprits. This problem is further exacerbated by school proprietors engaging in bribery and wealthy parents determined to see their children succeed at any cost, especially at the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) level. During the announcement of the 2023 PLE results at State House, Nakasero, Prof Celestino Obua, the new chairperson of Uneb, highlighted the prevalent forms of malpractice witnessed last year.
He noted that the major forms of malpractice last year involved teachers found inside examination rooms writing answers for candidates to copy. In some instances, teachers were caught writing Mathematics calculations and answers on chalkboards during the examination. Other teachers resorted to writing answers on small chits, which were then discreetly passed to the candidates through windows. Prof Obua emphasized the legal consequences of such actions, stating that all these culprits have been produced in court and charged under the relevant sections of the Uneb Act, 2021 that provides for stringent penalties.
He also expressed hope for the swift issuance of regulations to support the Act, which Uneb and the ministry have recently completed. The board successfully curtailed the practice of opening question paper envelopes and distributing their contents via social media, a method of cheating that had become widespread. Currently, 21 cases of exam malpractice are being processed in various courts across the country. Prof Obua highlighted the challenges faced by Uneb in pursuing these cases, including the transportation of witnesses and the frequent adjournments, which impose additional burdens on the board’s budget.
To address these challenges and expedite the legal process, Prof Obua proposed the establishment of a special utility court to concentrate all cases in one place and ensure their faster conclusion. For the Uneb Act to have an impact and serve the purpose of deterrence, the cases need to be dealt with expeditiously. The special court, according to him, could resolve many of the issues Uneb currently faces in handling these cases.
In the past, Uneb made it a practice to publicly announce the names of schools and the number of withheld results of their candidates pending investigations by the examinations security committee. However, this system has been gradually phased out, with the board now opting to release lists of districts and schools with cancelled results, which are also somewhat restricted.
The general performance data for the 2023 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) revealed that a total of 749,254 candidates from 15,859 centers registered for the exams, showing a decrease of 10.0% compared to the previous year. The exams saw the absenteeism rate drop to 1.6%, the lowest in five years, with 12,323 candidates not sitting for the exams. Dan N. Odongo, the Uneb executive director, observed a higher proportion of candidates passing in Division three and above, though there was a slight decline in the number of candidates passing in Divisions one and two compared to the previous year.
He expressed concern over the high number of candidates in Division U, which stood at 88,256. Although there was a decrease from 12.0% in 2022 to 10.4% in 2023, he emphasized the need to address this issue to prevent an increase in school dropout rates. Uneb also highlighted the performance in specific districts, with some reporting percentages well above the national average, and several districts having over 20% of their candidates in Division U.
Notably, in some districts, no female candidate passed in Division One, prompting an investigation into the causes of low performance. Uneb examiners have compiled a report on the candidates’ work to advise teachers on addressing areas of weakness, urging teachers to utilize this report. In terms of subject performance, there was a slight improvement in English, Integrated Science, and Mathematics, with pass rates at eight and above. However, there was a decrease in performance in Social Studies. Females outperformed males in English, but males performed better in the other three subjects, also recording a lower failure rate overall.
The First Lady and minister of Education, Janet Museveni, recently addressed the issue of candidates who did not pass their examinations, advising them to repeat primary seven in public schools. This advice comes in light of the fact that any candidate who falls into Division U (Ungraded) is not eligible for admission to senior one. The selection exercise for those who are eligible is scheduled for February 1 and 2, 2024, with successful students expected to start on February 19.
Janet Museveni has directed the permanent secretary of the Education Ministry to ensure that ungraded candidates are allowed to study at the government’s expense. She emphasized the importance of teachers and parents working closely with these children to improve their grades, making them eligible for further educational opportunities beyond primary seven. In her statement, the First Lady reflected on the automatic promotion policy initiated by the government in 2007, part of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE) programs, which allows learners to progress from one class to another regardless of their performance quality.
However, given the failure rates in the 2023 results, Museveni announced that her ministry plans to undertake a comprehensive review of the automatic promotion policy. She stated that promoting a learner merely because the academic year has ended is a disservice to the child, the education system, and the country. Regarding examination malpractice, she called upon the police and the judiciary to take action against those involved in such activities. She expressed concern that assisting learners to cheat in examinations undermines the confidence and credibility of the entire education system and compromises the country’s integrity.
“When such learners who cheat go through unmasked, it communicates a bad image to their peers and models a terrible trend,” she commented, highlighting the broader implications of exam malpractice on the education system and the country’s image. This is a summary of the state of examination malpractice and the 2023 PLE results reported by Uneb. As the board continues to address these challenges and enforce regulations, there is hope for a more transparent and credible examination process in the future.
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