PLE out: SST, Science best subjects

Jan 31, 2014

The minister of education and sports has said that the number of girls registered for Primary Seven last year (2013) has been higher than that of the previous years.

By Joseph Kizza

KAMPALA - More female candidates registered for Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) last year compared to their male counterparts, and for the first time, the number was higher than that of the previous years.

This, according to education and sports minister, Jesca Alupo, reflected “positive gains" in the education system of the country.

Presiding over the release of the PLE results at Statistics House in Kampala on Friday, Alupo said a total of 582, 085 candidates registered for the 2013 edition.

Social Studies (SST) and Science were the better performed subjects than Mathematics and English last year.

The pass rate in 2013 was 88.1%, slightly lower than that of 2012 which was at 88.4%. But in truth, those two years outcompeted the pass rate of 2011, which stood at 86.4%.

Pupils sat their Primary Leaving Examinations in November last year, although the results were released at the end of January, unlike mid-January in the previous years, a delay that drew plenty of talk as regards the effeciency of the system, and also the effect it would have on the start of school for Senior One students.

However, in response to that, Alupo maintained that the release was still within time, as it is required to have them officially out before the end of the month.

While the academic year officially opens on February 3, Senior One students are scheduled to report to school three weeks later, on February 24.

Selection for Senior One placement will take place on February 7 and 8 at Wonderworld Amusement Park, Kansanga, the minister said.

While thanking the media for keeping the public informed of the developments at UNEB, Alupo underlined that some media houses “blew out of proportion” some difficulties the exams body encountered.

She clarified that they did no report any incident of computers and scanners breaking down at UNEB, contrary to media reports.

Rukungiri, Kaberamaido among best

In the same tone, the minister spoke of harsh punishments lined up for any parties engaged in exam malpractices.

Those found engaged in exam malpractices will be punished, she said, making pointed references to some schools that had their centres reprimanded and pupils’ results cancelled in 2012.

Alupo named the districts of Bulambuli, Bukwo, Kaliro, Iganga, Buyende, Bugiri, Bududa and Namutumba as the worst performers of 2013.

Among the top performing districts, the minister said, were Fort Portal, Ntungamo, Mbarara, Kabarole, Kabale, Entebbe, Kaberamaido, Rukungiri, Masaka and Jinja.

On why rural schools have continued to perform worse than their urban counterparts, Minister Alupo underlined a number of reasons:

One, that there is a higher rate of absenteeism of both students/pupils and teachers in many rural schools.

And secondly, “some, but not all” rural schools are short of the necessary facilities to aid instruction and learning as compared to schools in urban areas.

To improve performance in the near and far future, the education ministry says it is currently introducing interventions at both school and district level.

It is also motivating teachers through timely payment of salaries, according to Minister Alupo, who added that her ministry is also strengthening school inspections and monitoring.

'Results are credible'

Relatedly, the minister and his team were tasked to explain the issue of non-payment of staff at UNEB. In response, Alupo played down the claims, saying: “UNEB is not undergoing any financial difficulties.”

She went on to explain that the national body had all the money it needed to see it through the preparation of exams results channeled from the government to it through the ministry of education and sports.

Another concern on the credibility of the results, arising from earlier reports of breakdown of computers and scanners at UNEB, arose.

UNEB Secretary Matthew Bukenya emphasized that the results are credible.

"I really don't know why this question has come up," he said, clearly pointing out that the exams body has "gone through the same process of preparing these results".

He said: "Marking was done, and done well."

"These are the real and credible results," said Bukenya, adding: "We used chief examiners, we used the same machines and we have even improved by giving results on CD."


How to check for PLE results via SMS


To check for your results on your mobile phone, type PLE, then followed by your INDEX NUMBER and send to 6600

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