Only One Teacher Scored Distinction

By John Eremu ONLY one teacher passed with a distinction in the 2001 Grade III teachers examination results released yesterday. A candidate needs an average score of 75% to get a distinction. The results released by state minister for primary education Mrs. Geraldine Bitamazire showed that only 35.5% (4,955) of the 14,157 candidates passed mathematics. Seven candidates had their results cancelled for cheating while five had theirs withheld pending investigations. Bitamazire said only those with passes in mathematics, sciences and English language will be admitted to the primary teacher’s colleges (PTCs). The minister also said it was a disgrace for teachers to engage in examination cheating and warned that any teacher found cheating will be banned from the profession for good. Bitamazire blamed the high failure rate and the apparent poor quality of teaching in primary schools on the admission of those with weak passes. “To achieve the objectives of modernisation, the country must train and produce teachers with knowledge and skills in languages, mathematics and science subjects,” Bitamazire said. She also said repeaters will meet their own costs, saying the decision to stop cost-sharing in PTCs was meant to increase access and repeaters would not be allowed to block the chances of fresh students. “The failures are normally given a chance to repeat. But they will have to meet their own costs because now that government is going to sponsor all PTC students, we don’t want fresh students blocked,” she said. The principal of the Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo (ITEK), Prof. Lutalo Bbosa, whose institute oversees examinations in the 47 PTCs in the country, however, said there was remarkable improvement in this year’s performance compared to previous years. Bbosa said the results can be picked from ITEK beginning tomorrow. Ends