By Francis Kagolo       
                                                                      
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) Thursday released results of business, vocational and technical education (BTVET), indicating the best performance in the last eight years.  

According to the results released by education minister Jessica Alupo, 72.34% of the 2,430 candidates passed the diploma course exams, up from 65.04% last year.

The courses include building, civil, refrigeration, mechanical, electrical, architectural and water engineering among others.

 UNEB secretary Matthew Bukenya, in a report, said the exams were leakage-free and attributed the good performance to improved school management and better teaching. “There was improved quality of work of candidates in most papers,” he said.

More candidates (35.8%) passed with credit this year compared to last year’s 29%. “Passing with distinction is still very low (3%) but still this is the best performance in the last eight years,” said Bukenya.

However, Bukenya said candidates exhibited problems with questions that required numerical skills and drawing, urging school managers to put more effort in the two areas.

UNEB also reported improved performance in professional certificate courses like accountancy, business management, hairdressing, marketing, purchasing and supplies management and secretarial studies.

The percentage of candidates who passed these courses increased from 45.6% in 2011 to 55.6%. Since 2008, this is the first time more than 50% of candidates passed the examination.

Similarly, performance improved in professional diploma courses where the Diploma in Journalism emerged the best done course with over 70% of the candidates passing each of its subjects.

However, with 80% failure rate, the certificate in beauty therapy was the worst done course.

Performance in single certificate courses like marketing, public administration and type writing was also below average at 36.1% passes compared to 40.7% last year.

Results for 45 students were withheld due to examination malpractices, mainly external assistance and smuggling of notes.

Pledging more support from the Government, Alupo urged technical schools to improve on the quantity and quality of facilities for practical courses to further enhance students’ acquisition of skills to fight unemployment.