Education minister warns inspectors on PLE

By Michael Odeng

Education minister, Jessica Alupo has asked district and municipal inspectors to be more vigilant during the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) to prevent examination malpractices.

She said the ministry was coming up with tougher measures against those found to have taken part in the vice.

"In 2013, we shall summon all the district and municipal inspectors whose districts and municipalities will be involved in the malpractice," she said.

"I will support UNEB to take measures against the perpetrators so that we can reduce cases of malpractice to zero."

She made the remarks on Tuesday during a one-day workshop for District Inspectors of Schools (DISs) at Silver Springs Hotel in Bugolobi, Kampala.  The workshop was held to point out areas which still require attention and to run through a programme of activities for the forthcoming Primary Leaving Examination.

The minister decried the high rate of examination malpractices recorded every year, saying it had affected parents and students, who are denied the chance to join secondary school.

Alupo said that the government is looking to introduce new sections in the UNEB Act which can enable them to comprehensively punish those involved in the mismanagement of the examinations

Last year, 745 results were cancelled, in a number of districts and many more  withheld pending further investigations and "a hearing by UNEB"  for each and every concerned candidate.
"What precautions have you as the district officials taken against recurrences of such vices? This is a form of corruption which we should fight right from PLE level," Alupo added.