Stiff entry to senior 1
Jan 23, 2006
TOP schools countrywide have maintained stiff cut-off marks for Senior One entrants in the national selection exercise, which started yesterday.
By F. Ahimbisibwe
TOP schools countrywide have maintained stiff cut-off marks for Senior One entrants in the national selection exercise, which started yesterday.
However, the education ministry directed the 844 head-teachers from government schools to admit more students as long as the school could accommodate them.
The chairman of the selection exercise, Francis Uma Agula, said government-aided schools would absorb 191,984 students while private schools were expected to take 155,849 to meet the 350,000 target.
“The Government may not absorb all the students who passed but with our partners from the private sector, we expect the majority of those who passed PLE to be absorbed in either private or government schools,†he said.
Agula warned against conducting interviews.
“We request you to admit as many students as the school can handle. If you have the capacity, admit them. They are your children,†he said.
Despite the reported poor performance in last year’s Primary Leaving Examination, (PLE), the headteachers said competition was still high.
Some of the upcountry schools, however, relaxed the cut-off points in an effort to admit more students as directed by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Hundreds of anxious parents yesterday waited outside the gate of Kyambogo College School, where the selection is taking place, to know the fate of their children.
The top schools left out candidates even though they had the required mark because they insisted that the children must have a distinction in Mathematics and English.
“Our cut-off was aggregate 5 but we left out some candidates even when they had five,†the headteacher of St. Mary’s College Kisubi, Brother Bukenya, said.
The Commissioner for Guidance and Counselling, Chris Magoola, asked the head-teachers not to ‘politicise’ the admission exercise.
“This period is politically sensitive but you must not get drawn into the politics. Admit students on merit. Stick to the ethics. Don’t use bad language when talking to the parents,†he said amid laughter.
TOP schools countrywide have maintained stiff cut-off marks for Senior One entrants in the national selection exercise, which started yesterday.
However, the education ministry directed the 844 head-teachers from government schools to admit more students as long as the school could accommodate them.
The chairman of the selection exercise, Francis Uma Agula, said government-aided schools would absorb 191,984 students while private schools were expected to take 155,849 to meet the 350,000 target.
“The Government may not absorb all the students who passed but with our partners from the private sector, we expect the majority of those who passed PLE to be absorbed in either private or government schools,†he said.
Agula warned against conducting interviews.
“We request you to admit as many students as the school can handle. If you have the capacity, admit them. They are your children,†he said.
Despite the reported poor performance in last year’s Primary Leaving Examination, (PLE), the headteachers said competition was still high.
Some of the upcountry schools, however, relaxed the cut-off points in an effort to admit more students as directed by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Hundreds of anxious parents yesterday waited outside the gate of Kyambogo College School, where the selection is taking place, to know the fate of their children.
The top schools left out candidates even though they had the required mark because they insisted that the children must have a distinction in Mathematics and English.
“Our cut-off was aggregate 5 but we left out some candidates even when they had five,†the headteacher of St. Mary’s College Kisubi, Brother Bukenya, said.
The Commissioner for Guidance and Counselling, Chris Magoola, asked the head-teachers not to ‘politicise’ the admission exercise.
“This period is politically sensitive but you must not get drawn into the politics. Admit students on merit. Stick to the ethics. Don’t use bad language when talking to the parents,†he said amid laughter.