By Conan Businge
and Tadeo Bwambale

A total of 179,440 students will be admitted in Government-aided schools to benefit from the free universal secondary education (USE) scheme this year.

An additional, not yet established number will benefit from the free scheme under the private schools’ arrangement. About 187 private schools have been approved to participate in the USE scheme.

This means the total number of USE beneficiaries will be considerably higher than last year.

About 180,000 students were admitted in Senior One under the USE scheme in both Government-aided and private schools in 2009.
There are another 579,734 continuing students under the free secondary education, which started in 2006.

The first USE students sat for Uganda Certificate of Education examinations (O’ Level) last year and their results are expected soon.

Of the about 513,000 pupils who sat for PLE last year, only some 418,000 are eligible for admission in secondary and vocational institutions. The rest failed or had their results cancelled over examination malpractices.

The Government-aided and private schools have a capacity of 492,000 students. Students who scored above aggregate 28 do not qualify for the Government sponsorship under USE but can join private schools.

Meanwhile, the director for basic and secondary education, Yusuf Nsubuga, has warned head teachers against rudeness to parents and against examination malpractices.

Nsubuga, who was opening the selection exercise yesterday, said the ministry would take serious action against head teachers who do not follow the Government guidelines.

He cited three schools in Wakiso which did not submit admission forms of their pupils, leaving 984 pupils stranded. Some of these pupils scored between four and five aggregates but they cannot be selected because their forms were not submitted, he said.

“Head teachers should treat parents as human beings. The selection exercise is not just about names. This is the children’s future you are playing with. Do not switch off phones and begin dodging parents who want vacancies. Tell them the truth,” he told head teachers.

He expressed disappointment with several private schools that are partnering with the Government in the USE scheme for failing to improve their infrastructure.

“We withdrew the plan to allocate examination centres to some of these schools. They are in a poor shape. We are likely to cancel our partnership with them if they do not change quickly.”

He added that all head teachers involved in defiling students and examination malpractices risk being dismissed with disgrace.

“Such a level of unethical practice shows lack of seriousness and cannot be accepted. Time has come to disown such colleagues who spoil our image,” Nsubuga said.

He also warned head teachers in Government-aided schools against misappropriating public funds. “We will arrest anyone who fails to account for public funds. There is no more space for lenience.”

Additional reporting by Nickson Turyahikayo