Candidates under the new lower secondary curriculum began their day with a mathematics exam, which will be followed by Chemistry Paper One in the afternoon.
The Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations commenced on schedule this morning, largely without incident across the country.
Candidates under the new lower secondary curriculum began their day with a mathematics exam, which will be followed by Chemistry Paper One in the afternoon. Meanwhile, those following the old curriculum started with practical chemistry, with music aural scheduled for later in the evening.
Most examination storage centers opened on time, with upcountry centers ready by around 8:00 AM and those in and around Kampala at 8:30 AM. Schools generally adhered to the timetable, with exams kicking off at 9:00 AM, although a few experienced minor delays of about 10 to 15 minutes.
At
Lugoba High School in Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District, an incident
occurred when school authorities briefly held back candidates who had
outstanding school fees from accessing the examination rooms. This
caused panic among the students, with over 30 teachers present, some of whom
were visibly distressed, fearing that the school intended to prevent them from
sitting for their papers.
Some Candidates reported that school authorities had separated students over
outstanding fees, with amounts as low as 10,000 shillings being demanded. Although
the school administrators declined an interview, one of the teachers explained
that the school wasn’t denying access but was using this as a tactic to see
whether they could get some money at this last minute.
“At
the last minute, when you act as if you might deny them their exams, some parents
scramble to bring money,” the teacher remarked. “The school has been patient
with parents who continually promise to pay.” Eventually,
the learners were cleared and allowed to enter the examination rooms at around
9:10 AM.
Earlier today, and during briefing day, the Uganda National
Examinations Board (UNEB) urged schools to resolve any outstanding fee issues
with parents well in advance to avoid inconveniencing candidates at the last
minute. UNEB requested that school heads flag students with fee balances on
their portal, ensuring that their results would not be released until all dues
were cleared.
Last-minute
issues can severely disorient candidates, who already face significant exam
pressure. The added anxiety of potentially being barred from sitting for their
exams only heightens their stress. In Kisoro, the distribution of UCE
exams in Kabale District began promptly at 8:35 AM. Medard Turamyomwe, the head
teacher at Nyamweru Secondary School in Rubanda District, reported that all 63
registered candidates are present and prepared to take their exams.
He noted
that, unlike in previous years when bad weather disrupted distribution, the
sunny morning conditions facilitated efficient transportation of the exam
materials. Celeson Katongole, head teacher at
St. Agatha Girls Kakore in Hamurwa Sub County, also expressed satisfaction with
the distribution timing, confirming that UNEB had scheduled it to start at 8:30
AM.
He reported that all 132 candidates were ready to sit for their exams. Katongole
added that the favorable weather in the Kigezi region on Monday morning was a
blessing, allowing day-schooling candidates to walk to school without any
inconvenience.
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Christopher Monday, head teacher of St.Marys College Rushoroza in Kabale district said that all 199 candidates that
registered to sit for exams under the new curriculum are available. He
expresses optimism of better performance saying that all the candidates were
well briefed.
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Elly Maate, the Kigezi region police spokesperson said that the distribution of the exams in the entire Kigezi region
has registered a success with no negative effect reported. Maate added
that security officers both covert and overt are on alert to deal with any form
of criminality like malpractice.
He warns that anybody who will be involved in
sabotage during the exam period will be apprehended and charged accordingly.
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At Luwero Central Police Station,
the UNEB containers were opened promptly at 8:00 AM, allowing officials to
clear each school before handing over envelopes containing the exam papers.
By
around 8:30 AM, distribution to head teachers commenced, and they quickly
boarded their vehicles to transport the papers to schools, even amidst light
rain.
This year, UNEB expanded the number
of distribution centers in the Luwero District from three to six police stations.
Schools such as Ndejje Vocational Secondary School, Original Progressive SS
Kasana, New Life SS, and Kakoola High School reported a smooth start to the
examinations.
At New Life Secondary School,
candidates were checked in and examinations began at 9:00 AM. Out of 95
registered candidates, 93 were present, with only two absent.
Paul Mukungu, the director of New
Life Secondary School, praised UNEB for the improved distribution process,
noting that the examination started without issues.
However, he acknowledged
that some candidates were nervous, as they were pioneers of the exams under the
new lower curriculum.
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Luganda Byte
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At Kakoola High School, Mike Wagaba
the headteacher said all 134 registered candidates turned in for the
examinations and they were going on smoothly.
In Moroto District, head teachers
began departing from the exam storage facility at Moroto Central Police Station
at 8:42 AM. Some head teachers opted to transport the examination papers via
boda-bodas, which led Deputy RDC Justine Tuko to lend his car to Rupa Seed
Secondary School for delivering the papers.
Tuko assured that security measures
had been implemented to address any potential disturbances from local warriors.
He confirmed that the distribution of the examinations for the morning papers
had been carried out successfully.
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At Moroto High School, the largest
examination center in the district with 187 candidates, students began arriving
at the venue by 8:00 AM. Eric Fred Sabila, the head teacher, described the
preparation process as both challenging and educational due to the new
curriculum.
He emphasized the unique hurdles faced in readying students for the
exams, but he also recognized the valuable lessons learned along the way.