PLE: North has most failures
Jan 21, 2007
THE performance of candidates from northern and eastern Uganda improved, but the overall standard is still low, according to the Primary Leaving Examination results released on Friday.
By F. Ahimbisibwe
THE performance of candidates from northern and eastern Uganda improved, but the overall standard is still low, according to the Primary Leaving Examination results released on Friday.
Although the last one year has been generally peaceful, the impact of the 20-year Lord’s Resitance Army insurgency on the education in the north will continue for long. Analysis of the results from the Uganda National Examination Board showed the north and eastern regions recording poor grades in terms of the number of candidates who fail and pass poorly in Division Four. The figures in this region are amazingly higher than anywhere else in the country.
Majority of the 47,717 candidates who failed in Division U in 2006 PLE come from this region. These include the districts of Lira, Apac, Kitgum, Gulu, Pader Lokolo, Oyam, Amuru and part of West Nile.
Other affected areas are in Teso region, including Soroti, Kaberamaido, Katakwi and Amuria districts.
Education minister Namirembe Bitamazire says the Government is concerned with this trend and has designed a recovery plan for the education sector.
“Northern Uganda is a concern to all of us and we shall ensure that performance improves. It may take some time but it will certainly improve,†Bitamazire explains.
The ministry has put in place an affirmative action plan for the affected regions during selections for Senior One.
“Students from this region have a specific arrangement to facilitate them to join Senior one. We have also engaged a consultant to review the schools in these regions and report what needs to be done in many of these schools,†she states.
The overall performance has, however, improved, Bukenya said. And the failure rate has declined to 11.8% from last year’s 15.2%.
The number of candidates who were unable to sit for PLE in northern Uganda was the highest in the country. In Gulu, 5,879, Kitgum 4,499, Gulu municipality 2,215, Pader 4,020 candidates did not sit for examinations.
In Gulu district, only 95 candidates attained first grade, with only one female candidate. A total of 1,065 candidates failed. In Lira district, 1,668 candidates failed, in Kitgum district, a total of 531 candidates failed, in Pader, 649 candidates failed, in Manafwa district, while 2,330 candidates failed.
In Lira district, 1,828 failed, while 1,668 failed in Nebbi district.
According to UNEB statistics, the number of candidates who failed dropped to 19.7%. Only 1.8% passed in Division 1. In Apac district, the failure rate fell to 16.8% from 23%. In Soroti, it has fallen to 14.4% from 22.1%.
Kitgum district also dropped to 12.5% from 15.7. However, only 2.7% passed in division one. In Pader, the failure rate is 18.0% from 22.7.
In regions that have been undisturbed by any insurgency, the performance is much better. For example in Rukungiri district only 0.7% failed, in Fort Portal district 0.1% failed, Mbarara has 6.0%, Bushenyi 4.2%, Kanungu 1.9%, Kabale Municipality 0.4%, Ntungamo 4%, Kampala 3.5% and Masaka municipality 3.0%.
In Gulu municipality, however, only 1.2% failed, while in Soroti Municipality only 1.6%.
State minister for primary education Peter Lokeris says the ministry has embarked on a needs assessment project as well as distribution of instructional materials.
“We have put in place interventions which aim at putting that region at per with other areas. We shall recruit more teachers,†he says.
The divisional score table released by UNEB shows that the number of candidates who passed in Division One has improved to 7.9% from last year’s 5.0%.
UNEB Public Eva Konde says northern Uganda recorded a slight improvement in performance. “This relates to the relative calm that had returned to the area by the time the candidates did exams. In the previous years, we have had to airlift examination scripts but this year we did not,†she says.
On the performance between boys and girls, the former continue to have an upper hand. In many of the districts, there is a wide gap between the two.
Some schools in the countryside have broken the monopoly of Kampala, Wakiso and Mpigi in producing sterling PLE results.
Mbarara was the best municipality, closely followed by Kabale, Masaka and Fort portal.
THE performance of candidates from northern and eastern Uganda improved, but the overall standard is still low, according to the Primary Leaving Examination results released on Friday.
Although the last one year has been generally peaceful, the impact of the 20-year Lord’s Resitance Army insurgency on the education in the north will continue for long. Analysis of the results from the Uganda National Examination Board showed the north and eastern regions recording poor grades in terms of the number of candidates who fail and pass poorly in Division Four. The figures in this region are amazingly higher than anywhere else in the country.
Majority of the 47,717 candidates who failed in Division U in 2006 PLE come from this region. These include the districts of Lira, Apac, Kitgum, Gulu, Pader Lokolo, Oyam, Amuru and part of West Nile.
Other affected areas are in Teso region, including Soroti, Kaberamaido, Katakwi and Amuria districts.
Education minister Namirembe Bitamazire says the Government is concerned with this trend and has designed a recovery plan for the education sector.
“Northern Uganda is a concern to all of us and we shall ensure that performance improves. It may take some time but it will certainly improve,†Bitamazire explains.
The ministry has put in place an affirmative action plan for the affected regions during selections for Senior One.
“Students from this region have a specific arrangement to facilitate them to join Senior one. We have also engaged a consultant to review the schools in these regions and report what needs to be done in many of these schools,†she states.
The overall performance has, however, improved, Bukenya said. And the failure rate has declined to 11.8% from last year’s 15.2%.
The number of candidates who were unable to sit for PLE in northern Uganda was the highest in the country. In Gulu, 5,879, Kitgum 4,499, Gulu municipality 2,215, Pader 4,020 candidates did not sit for examinations.
In Gulu district, only 95 candidates attained first grade, with only one female candidate. A total of 1,065 candidates failed. In Lira district, 1,668 candidates failed, in Kitgum district, a total of 531 candidates failed, in Pader, 649 candidates failed, in Manafwa district, while 2,330 candidates failed.
In Lira district, 1,828 failed, while 1,668 failed in Nebbi district.
According to UNEB statistics, the number of candidates who failed dropped to 19.7%. Only 1.8% passed in Division 1. In Apac district, the failure rate fell to 16.8% from 23%. In Soroti, it has fallen to 14.4% from 22.1%.
Kitgum district also dropped to 12.5% from 15.7. However, only 2.7% passed in division one. In Pader, the failure rate is 18.0% from 22.7.
In regions that have been undisturbed by any insurgency, the performance is much better. For example in Rukungiri district only 0.7% failed, in Fort Portal district 0.1% failed, Mbarara has 6.0%, Bushenyi 4.2%, Kanungu 1.9%, Kabale Municipality 0.4%, Ntungamo 4%, Kampala 3.5% and Masaka municipality 3.0%.
In Gulu municipality, however, only 1.2% failed, while in Soroti Municipality only 1.6%.
State minister for primary education Peter Lokeris says the ministry has embarked on a needs assessment project as well as distribution of instructional materials.
“We have put in place interventions which aim at putting that region at per with other areas. We shall recruit more teachers,†he says.
The divisional score table released by UNEB shows that the number of candidates who passed in Division One has improved to 7.9% from last year’s 5.0%.
UNEB Public Eva Konde says northern Uganda recorded a slight improvement in performance. “This relates to the relative calm that had returned to the area by the time the candidates did exams. In the previous years, we have had to airlift examination scripts but this year we did not,†she says.
On the performance between boys and girls, the former continue to have an upper hand. In many of the districts, there is a wide gap between the two.
Some schools in the countryside have broken the monopoly of Kampala, Wakiso and Mpigi in producing sterling PLE results.
Mbarara was the best municipality, closely followed by Kabale, Masaka and Fort portal.