It is time to privatise examinations
Nov 26, 2006
THE recent examination leakages have been explained in many ways. Some say the leakage could have originated from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) itself due to power struggles, while others point accusing fingers at the Police. Until the probe into the source of the leakage is complete
By Jackson Ojok
THE recent examination leakages have been explained in many ways. Some say the leakage could have originated from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) itself due to power struggles, while others point accusing fingers at the Police. Until the probe into the source of the leakage is complete and its report made public, nobody will know the truth.
Nonetheless, this year’s leakage of the O’ Level and the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) only points to one thing: UNEB is a porous body and it cannot run away from responsibility in the proper conduct of examinations. As Kawempe North MP Latiff Ssebagala put it, UNEB is the first suspect because it is involved in all steps in the administration of the examinations.
I believe that during the transportation and storage of examination papers, there must be a UNEB official. They can deny this, but they are always represented at all levels in the examination system either directly or indirectly.
Since birth in 1980 after the dissolution of the East African Examinations Council, UNEB has always had problems of examination leakages, although not as pronounced as the massive leakages between 1994-1997 and this year’s.
Since the talk of examination leakages broke out in October 2006, Ugandans are pondering what should be done to safeguard the credibility of our examinations.
The Police, UNEB and other security agencies are investigating the source of the leakages. As accusations and counter-accusations fly, there are million dollar questions to answer. When will the vice end? How will it end? Who will win?
Will the schools named in the exam scam will get their results? UNEB chief Matthew Bukenya has openly declared that the schools named will be investigated and if found guilty, will have their results cancelled. What a shocking experience to parents after a rough four years struggling with fees!
The general picture one gets is that Uganda needs a serious change in the running of its exams. At the moment, all levels apart from nursery and universities look to UNEB to supply, mark and release examination results.
Who told Ugandans that it is only UNEB which can run exams? Is there no way out of this crisis?
In developed countries, including the US and Britain, there is no monopoly on national examination bodies. Several independent organisations conduct the exams. The governments only come in through specific ministries to monitor standards. It is the same system I am advocating in Uganda to solve the mess. Uganda can do this step by step.
First, the Government should call a national conference on reforming exam management with a bias towards privatising exam at primary, technical and secondary levels.
Secondly, the Government should invite competent persons, bodies or investors to apply to take over the management of national examinations.
Thirdly, the successful group(s) should then be given one level, say primary, as a pilot scheme to manage. Technical and secondary may still remain under UNEB.
Fourthly, if the pilot scheme is successful, the privatisation is then extended to all levels. We can copy from the Government’s approach to Universal Primary Education (UPE), which is now rolling out into Universal Post Primary Education and Training (UPPET).
For this reform to be successful, the Education Standards Agency (ESA) should be strengthened to ensure that the quality of examinations is not compromised. The national conference can design ways to strengthen ESA in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Advantages of a privatised examination system in Uganda
-The power struggle at UNEB which, at times, is alleged to be the source of leakages, will cease.
-Schools will choose to register their candidates with the examination bodies of their choice.
-There will be healthy competition among the various examination bodies to the extent that anyone who issues sub-standard papers or leaks their exams will not be popular.
-Those who will keep their examinations secret will be best. Innovations will unfold due to competition among various examination bodies.
-The racket that gets prior knowledge of examinations from a single examinations body will find it hard to move to all the private examination bodies to access the papers. In privatisation, security is a cornerstone to success.
-UNEB will be relieved of the workload and fatigue it experiences because of the numerous examinations it conducts.
-More employment opportunities will be provided for Ugandans.
-The Government will save money from the billions it injects into UNEB yearly.
-The mystery surrounding the blame game involving UNEB, the Police and schools will be eliminated because each examination body will be jealous of its papers and will act instantly and deal ruthlessly with anybody involved in examination cheating.
-Overcrowding of headteachers for registration of candidates or collecting results at UNEB headquarters will reduce.
-Cases of forgery of certificates will be easily detected by each independent examination body.
-Verification of results for persons contesting in national elections would be easy since there will be many bodies dealing with it.
-The idea of looking at UNEB as a political institution will be diffused.
-The risk of exam malpractice will be spread across the spectrum covering many examination bodies.
Cheating starts from item setters, through moderators, question selectors, teachers in the schools, students, parents, examiners at marking centres, grading, feeding the processed results into the computer and even during the release of examinations.
So let us not look only at one event, but the entire process.
The writer is a former UNEB chief examiner of History Paper 210/1
Tel: 0772 - 595341
Send your views to
education@newvision.co.ug
THE recent examination leakages have been explained in many ways. Some say the leakage could have originated from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) itself due to power struggles, while others point accusing fingers at the Police. Until the probe into the source of the leakage is complete and its report made public, nobody will know the truth.
Nonetheless, this year’s leakage of the O’ Level and the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) only points to one thing: UNEB is a porous body and it cannot run away from responsibility in the proper conduct of examinations. As Kawempe North MP Latiff Ssebagala put it, UNEB is the first suspect because it is involved in all steps in the administration of the examinations.
I believe that during the transportation and storage of examination papers, there must be a UNEB official. They can deny this, but they are always represented at all levels in the examination system either directly or indirectly.
Since birth in 1980 after the dissolution of the East African Examinations Council, UNEB has always had problems of examination leakages, although not as pronounced as the massive leakages between 1994-1997 and this year’s.
Since the talk of examination leakages broke out in October 2006, Ugandans are pondering what should be done to safeguard the credibility of our examinations.
The Police, UNEB and other security agencies are investigating the source of the leakages. As accusations and counter-accusations fly, there are million dollar questions to answer. When will the vice end? How will it end? Who will win?
Will the schools named in the exam scam will get their results? UNEB chief Matthew Bukenya has openly declared that the schools named will be investigated and if found guilty, will have their results cancelled. What a shocking experience to parents after a rough four years struggling with fees!
The general picture one gets is that Uganda needs a serious change in the running of its exams. At the moment, all levels apart from nursery and universities look to UNEB to supply, mark and release examination results.
Who told Ugandans that it is only UNEB which can run exams? Is there no way out of this crisis?
In developed countries, including the US and Britain, there is no monopoly on national examination bodies. Several independent organisations conduct the exams. The governments only come in through specific ministries to monitor standards. It is the same system I am advocating in Uganda to solve the mess. Uganda can do this step by step.
First, the Government should call a national conference on reforming exam management with a bias towards privatising exam at primary, technical and secondary levels.
Secondly, the Government should invite competent persons, bodies or investors to apply to take over the management of national examinations.
Thirdly, the successful group(s) should then be given one level, say primary, as a pilot scheme to manage. Technical and secondary may still remain under UNEB.
Fourthly, if the pilot scheme is successful, the privatisation is then extended to all levels. We can copy from the Government’s approach to Universal Primary Education (UPE), which is now rolling out into Universal Post Primary Education and Training (UPPET).
For this reform to be successful, the Education Standards Agency (ESA) should be strengthened to ensure that the quality of examinations is not compromised. The national conference can design ways to strengthen ESA in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Advantages of a privatised examination system in Uganda
-The power struggle at UNEB which, at times, is alleged to be the source of leakages, will cease.
-Schools will choose to register their candidates with the examination bodies of their choice.
-There will be healthy competition among the various examination bodies to the extent that anyone who issues sub-standard papers or leaks their exams will not be popular.
-Those who will keep their examinations secret will be best. Innovations will unfold due to competition among various examination bodies.
-The racket that gets prior knowledge of examinations from a single examinations body will find it hard to move to all the private examination bodies to access the papers. In privatisation, security is a cornerstone to success.
-UNEB will be relieved of the workload and fatigue it experiences because of the numerous examinations it conducts.
-More employment opportunities will be provided for Ugandans.
-The Government will save money from the billions it injects into UNEB yearly.
-The mystery surrounding the blame game involving UNEB, the Police and schools will be eliminated because each examination body will be jealous of its papers and will act instantly and deal ruthlessly with anybody involved in examination cheating.
-Overcrowding of headteachers for registration of candidates or collecting results at UNEB headquarters will reduce.
-Cases of forgery of certificates will be easily detected by each independent examination body.
-Verification of results for persons contesting in national elections would be easy since there will be many bodies dealing with it.
-The idea of looking at UNEB as a political institution will be diffused.
-The risk of exam malpractice will be spread across the spectrum covering many examination bodies.
Cheating starts from item setters, through moderators, question selectors, teachers in the schools, students, parents, examiners at marking centres, grading, feeding the processed results into the computer and even during the release of examinations.
So let us not look only at one event, but the entire process.
The writer is a former UNEB chief examiner of History Paper 210/1
Tel: 0772 - 595341
Send your views to
education@newvision.co.ug