Gomba schools to get UNEB center numbers

By Michael Odeng

GOMBA - A number of schools in Gomba district without Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) center numbers will get next year, the district education officer Godfrey Kalyango has said.

In a speech read by chairperson in charge of education, William Mugabe, Kalyango said that a team of UNEB scouts have been surveying Gomba schools, confirming where their centers are located so that center numbers can be provided.

Most of the district schools do their UNEB exams in schools located in Masaka district.

“A license takes two years to be processed but the next coming year most schools will be provided with UNEB centers numbers so that they can be able to seat examinations at their school premises,” he added.

He made these remarks on the close of last week during the handover of desks to Grace Community Primary School in Gomba district.

A total of 40 desks worth sh5m were donated to the school by Blossom Youth Project under the management of Uganda Management Institute (UMI).

SPEDAG Interfreight was the main sponsors of the project.

“For a school to get a center number, it must at least have eight professional teachers, three vacant classes and desks that can accommodate candidates and a school license registered by the Ministry of Education and Sports,” the officer added.

Kalyango directed that it is against the law for schools to register in a district that does not exist for UNEB examinations.

He said that the district body will start conducting training workshops for teachers in order to improve their teaching skills.

“Most students fail in upcountry districts because teachers are not committed to teaching students what is examined in UNEB papers and how they should be answered”.

Trained teachers generate production and increases the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which improves the growth product of the country, Kalyango said.

Eden Revival Ministries Bishop, Morris Bukenya urged teachers to provide pupils with knowledge, skills and character-building so that well-behaved citizens are produced in the country.

He hailed the UMI institution, SPEDAG-Uganda and friends who contributed to the well-being of the school.

“The desks were not enough, some students sat on the floor, but in order to exercise writing skills, pupils are supposed to have writing pads.

 “Always seat down in groups, brainstorm on developmental ideas, and develop ideas that will develop the nation,” he advised.

Project coordinator, Robert Banoba said that they came up with the project so that they can identify the problems affecting the communities today, find solutions and provide services to the community so that poverty can be alleviated.

“We sat down as a team of young experts and made sure we come up with developmental ideas that can help the community,” he added.