UNEB sets Feb 29 to hear out cases of examination 'cheats'

The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has set February 29 as the official date to start the hearing process of different schools, whose results were withheld.
 
Examination results of different schools at different levels were withheld over suspected examination malpractice.
 
Results of 909 candidates were withheld during the release of Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) early this year, a total of 2,060 students from 41 schools across the country had their results withheld during the release of Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), while results of 279((0.27%) learners had their results withheld during the release of Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) results.

Dan Odongo, the incoming UNEB executive secretary, while speaking to New Vision in a phone interview, said the examinations security committee would give a hearing first to PLE starting on February 29, followed by UCE and then UACE.
 
"We are soon sending heads of affected schools summoning letters inviting them together with the affected students to come and defend themselves. Those who will prove themselves innocent will be given their results and those who would be found guilt would have a case against uneb," he said.
 
 Adding: "We anticipate spending about four to five days handling PLE cases, thereafter, handle UCE in early March.  The committee members are likely to take two weeks handling UCE because cases are many and then take on UACE.
 
Asking whether there are students that have petitioned the examination's body over their withheld results, Odongo said they have not received any petition from any student because they directly deal with only teachers.
 
"Few heads of schools have come to our offices to find out what cases uneb has against them, we explain to them why their results were withheld and ask them to wait for hearing dates.

In an earlier interview with New Vision, Dr. Yusuf Nsubuga from the ministry of education said that the ministry would interdict head teachers and teachers whose schools have continuously been involved in malpractice.

Nsubuga further added that said in the last three years, three head teachers have been interdicted.

Odongo on the other hand said it is hard to deal with head teachers, because most of the schools whose results were withheld are private and change head teachers very often.