UNEB, deal with the problem now!
SIR — The current UNEB policy of appointing area supervisors from among head teachers of secondary schools served by the same storage station is very unfair.
SIR — The current UNEB policy of appointing area supervisors from among head teachers of secondary schools served by the same storage station is very unfair.
The policy would have worked well in the pre-liberalisation days where all schools were state owned and there was limited competition, if any, among schools.
With liberalisation of the education sector, many private schools have emerged and are challenging the traditional government schools in national exams.
The big question now is; “Are these head teachers, doubling as area supervisors, fair in administration of exams in their areas of jurisdiction?†May be to a small extent.
It is high time UNEB realised that fairness is hard to achieve in competitive situations. Is it fair for one to judge himself or his competition?
What does such a head teacher report to UNEB when a student in his own school has been involved in examination malpractice? How about the one from a rival school?
There are even reports of area supervisors allocating certain known ‘rough’ invigilators to particular schools with instructions to be tough on students. In these cases, students sit exams under tension as if they are facing a firing squad.
The situation is worse in rural areas where traditional teaches have failed to come to terms with competition.
My advice to UNEB is that area supervisors should be appointed among experienced teachers with high integrity, who are vigilant, honest, fair and concerned about proper conduct of examinations. But they should be from schools under different storage stations. Someone from Masindi would, for example, be appointed an area supervisor for a storage station in Arua.
If this is not feasible, an area supervisor appointed from a secondary school should supervise primary exams while the one appointed from a primary school supervises secondary exams.
Alternatively, UNEB can advertise jobs for area supervisors who are then centrally allocated to serve different storage stations, as is done for UNEB scouts.
Gilbert Asiimwe
Masindi
SIR — With the release of PLE and UCE results, UNEB withheld some results of students suspected of having been involved in malpractices. While this is good, a lot is still desired. For example, can UNEB explain why a school with 250 students can have all their students in division one?
According to statistics, this is not right. In fact, performance in exams follows a normal distribution pattern where we expect a few in the extreme ends of ‘genius’ and ‘daft’ and the majority to be in between.
This cannot be a miracle! UNEB should set up a commission of inquiry where people can go and testify on how they have been involved in these malpractices without taking them to courts of law. This will help in finding a solution. Otherwise, the people involved will undermine UNEB’s credibility.
Disan Musoke
Kisaasi
SIR — I am beginning to doubt the quality of students the country is producing. Every time results are released, some must be held by UNEB. Where are we heading with cheating? Has it become a chronic disease in every place of learning?
No pride for cheats. Shame on you! I am appealing to all education partners to come up with substantial solution to rid this country of exam scams, otherwise the quality of students the country is producing is suspect.
Nawuyo A.Parparmoi
Makerere University,/small>
The policy would have worked well in the pre-liberalisation days where all schools were state owned and there was limited competition, if any, among schools.
With liberalisation of the education sector, many private schools have emerged and are challenging the traditional government schools in national exams.
The big question now is; “Are these head teachers, doubling as area supervisors, fair in administration of exams in their areas of jurisdiction?†May be to a small extent.
It is high time UNEB realised that fairness is hard to achieve in competitive situations. Is it fair for one to judge himself or his competition?
What does such a head teacher report to UNEB when a student in his own school has been involved in examination malpractice? How about the one from a rival school?
There are even reports of area supervisors allocating certain known ‘rough’ invigilators to particular schools with instructions to be tough on students. In these cases, students sit exams under tension as if they are facing a firing squad.
The situation is worse in rural areas where traditional teaches have failed to come to terms with competition.
My advice to UNEB is that area supervisors should be appointed among experienced teachers with high integrity, who are vigilant, honest, fair and concerned about proper conduct of examinations. But they should be from schools under different storage stations. Someone from Masindi would, for example, be appointed an area supervisor for a storage station in Arua.
If this is not feasible, an area supervisor appointed from a secondary school should supervise primary exams while the one appointed from a primary school supervises secondary exams.
Alternatively, UNEB can advertise jobs for area supervisors who are then centrally allocated to serve different storage stations, as is done for UNEB scouts.
Gilbert Asiimwe
Masindi
SIR — With the release of PLE and UCE results, UNEB withheld some results of students suspected of having been involved in malpractices. While this is good, a lot is still desired. For example, can UNEB explain why a school with 250 students can have all their students in division one?
According to statistics, this is not right. In fact, performance in exams follows a normal distribution pattern where we expect a few in the extreme ends of ‘genius’ and ‘daft’ and the majority to be in between.
This cannot be a miracle! UNEB should set up a commission of inquiry where people can go and testify on how they have been involved in these malpractices without taking them to courts of law. This will help in finding a solution. Otherwise, the people involved will undermine UNEB’s credibility.
Disan Musoke
Kisaasi
SIR — I am beginning to doubt the quality of students the country is producing. Every time results are released, some must be held by UNEB. Where are we heading with cheating? Has it become a chronic disease in every place of learning?
No pride for cheats. Shame on you! I am appealing to all education partners to come up with substantial solution to rid this country of exam scams, otherwise the quality of students the country is producing is suspect.
Nawuyo A.Parparmoi
Makerere University,/small>