The practice of schools giving pupils and students pre-registration tests before they are registered for Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) exams must stop, Janet Museveni, the Minister of Education and Sports has said.
Janet, who doubles as the First Lady made the remarks Friday while presiding over the release of the 2019 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) at Kampala Parents’ School.
She described the practice of excluding learners who are assumed not able to pass as “unfortunate”, saying that UNEB exams should determine the destiny of the learners.
“There’s no basis for this action (pre-registration tests). This practice must stop,” Janet said, adding: “Teachers should focus on effective teaching so that pupils who reach P.7 are able to sit and pass PLE.”
Dan Odong, the UNEB Executive Secretary said a total of 695,804 candidates from 13,475 centers sat the PLE in 2019.
He said that 51.7% of these were girls.
“This is the 5th time UNEB registers more girls compared to the boys in PLE Exams,” Odong said.
Odong said at least 69,243 (10.1 percent) of the pupils who sat last year’s PLE passed in division one.
He added that 318,155 passed in second grade while 140,420 passed in third grade.
“A total of 89,332 have passed in the fourth Division,” Odong said, adding that 66,152 candidates were ungraded.
There has been an overall improvement in English and Social Studies. The overall pass level of Science improved but there was a sharp decline in distinctions in the subject. Mathematics had a slight improvement, Odong said.
Reacting to the decline in the number of pupils getting Division in Science, Janet said it shows that teachers are focusing on theory, noting that teachers should be practical in what they teach.
“The only way to get good results is effective teaching. Nothing more,” Janet said, adding that effective teaching lays a firm foundation for the children’s future learning.
She added that although the Ministry is yet to achieve the quality of education they want, literacy levels are on the rise.
“Majority of our people are becoming literate every year and sooner than later we shall have no illiterate people in our society and I think that is a major victory to us as the population and the people,” she said.
The Minister said the selection for S.1 will take place from 23rd to 24th at UMA Multipurpose Hall.
