Dan Odongo, the Executive Secretary of the Uganda National Examinations Board
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has instructed heads of examination centres to display the candidates’ register for two months, allowing parents, learners, and other stakeholders to verify candidate details.
Although the circular was issued on August 18, UNEB directed that the display of the candidates’ register should run from August 10 to October 10. The register must be placed in a location accessible to learners at each centre and will also be available at district, municipal, and city education offices.
UNEB noted that, as provided in the UNEB Act, “the candidate’s register should be displayed in a conspicuous place at the school where the candidates are registered, and at the district headquarters respectively.”
The board further advised parents of learners studying in schools without examination centres to confirm where their children have been registered and ensure their names appear on the register.
The move is aimed at preventing cases where students are found unregistered at the start of examinations. In the past, some parents and learners have raised complaints on examination day after discovering that headteachers had misled them into believing the learners were registered. At that stage, little could be done to assist.
Jennifer Kalule, UNEB spokesperson, said that if parents with proof of payment for registration fees find that their children are not on the register, they should report the matter to UNEB.
Under the new UNEB Act, anyone authorised, or claiming to be authorised, by an examination centre to collect registration fees who fails to remit the funds to UNEB commits an offence. Conviction carries a fine of up to 40 million shillings, a prison term of up to ten years, or both.
“In addition…the person convicted shall pay back the money collected from the concerned students or the sponsors of the students, and compensate them accordingly as the case may be…Where the person convicted is a registered teacher, the person shall be disciplined under the relevant laws regulating the teaching profession,” the act reads in part.
In addition to the physical display, UNEB has introduced an SMS service accessible via mobile phones to check registration status. Users must know the student’s index number, type “Reg,” leave a space, enter the full index number, and send it to 6600.
When reviewing the registers, teachers, parents, and candidates must verify the accuracy of the candidate’s bio-data, including index/personal number, spelling and order of names, date of birth, gender, attached photo, and subjects or papers registered for UCE and UACE.
“Where there is a discrepancy in the bio-data, the centre should formally communicate with UNEB for correction within the stipulated time. For minor adjustments, schools should fill out an amendment form provided on the portal. At UCE and UACE levels, schools are required to write amendment request letters to UNEB and attach copies of either national identification cards or birth certificates for candidates whose details need to be revised,” UNEB stated.
-URN
