Mbarara, Masaka top PLE, East trails
Jan 18, 2008
THE education ministry yesterday released the 2007 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results, which show a slight decline in performance compared to last year.
By Fortunate Ahimbisibwe
and Anne Mugisa
THE education ministry yesterday released the 2007 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results, which show a slight decline in performance compared to last year.
Mathew Bukenya, the secretary of the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), said the over-all pass rate was 86.5%, down from 88.2% in 2006. A total of 56,603 failed the exams, compared to 47,717 in 2006.
However, more students passed in Division 1. Whereas 6.9% passed with first grade in 2006, this went up to 7.6% in 2007.
Like in previous years, the urban schools scored better than the rural ones. Mbarara municipality again topped the list, with 39.7% of all candidates passing in Grade 1.
It was followed by Masaka municipality (39.4%), Fort Portal (37.8), Kabale municipality (31.3%), Lira municipality (30.6%), Entebbe (29.2%) and Kampala (23.7%).
The worst performers were Yumbe, where only 0.3% of candidates passed in grade 1. Down on the list are also Manafwa and Gulu (both 0.6%), Moyo and Bukedea (both 0.7%) and Amolotar (0.8%).
The northern and eastern regions generally performed poorer than the central and western regions.
This was attributed to the 20-year insurgency, the Karimojong rustling and the recent floods, which caused massive displacement of people.
Lira, Soroti and Gulu municipalities, however, have picked up and made it to the Top 20 best performers.
Of the 443.554 candidates who sat for PLE, 192,757 – or 46% – passed in Division 2, while 90,060 (21.5%) passed in Division 3 and 47,817 (11.4%) passed in Division 4.
The majority of PLE candidates, almost 90%, were beneficiaries of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme, while about 10% sat in private schools, Bukenya noted.
English and social studies were the subjects where candidates scored the best, while mathematics and science were the worst.
“Examiners have indicated that the performance of candidates was hampered by low level of proficiency in English language,†he explained.
“Some candidates did not understand what the questions required them to answer.â€
The Minister of State for Primary Education, Peter Lokeris, said performance would improve because all the teachers currently being recruited are required to have higher passes in English and Mathematics.
A total of 301,645 pupils obtained aggregate 28 or better, thereby qualifying for Universal Secondary Education.
The state minister for higher education, Gabriel Opio, announced that the selection for Senior One and for technical schools would take place between January 23 and 25.
He also declared that the Government had released funds for USE students who are joining Senior Two.
UNEB also revealed that the results of 290 candidates were cancelled because of cheating, though the schools involved were not named. According to Bukenya most of the cheating involved external assistance.
Other malpractices recorded were impersonation, collusion, substitution and smuggling. He said there was no leakage because of the 7,000 scouts deployed to oversee the examination.
He, however, noted that there had been an increase in the number of incidences where head teachers attempted to bribe and intimidate examination scouts.
Like last year, UNEB declined to give out the lists of the best candidates and schools in each district. Parliament had directed them to stop releasing these details, Bukenya said.
MPs reportedly argued that publishing details of best performers was fuelling unfair competition between schools and was encouraging examination malpractice.
Bukenya only named two inmates in Luzira Prison, Geoffrey Muhumuza and Wilson Sekidde, who passed with aggregate nine.
On a negative note, less than half of the number of pupils who enrolled in P1 seven years ago sat PLE in 2007.
The minister for higher education acknowledged that the high dropout rate in primary schools was of great concern to the Government.
He announced that an inspectorate had been set up to pay three visits to every school per term. Sh2.5b has been put aside for the exercise, which will particularly look into attendance by pupils and teachers.
As another measure to reduce dropout rates, from next year on, all students in Primary Six will automatically be promoted to Primary Seven, the minister added.
More under SCHOOL RESULTS
and Anne Mugisa
THE education ministry yesterday released the 2007 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results, which show a slight decline in performance compared to last year.
Mathew Bukenya, the secretary of the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), said the over-all pass rate was 86.5%, down from 88.2% in 2006. A total of 56,603 failed the exams, compared to 47,717 in 2006.
However, more students passed in Division 1. Whereas 6.9% passed with first grade in 2006, this went up to 7.6% in 2007.
Like in previous years, the urban schools scored better than the rural ones. Mbarara municipality again topped the list, with 39.7% of all candidates passing in Grade 1.
It was followed by Masaka municipality (39.4%), Fort Portal (37.8), Kabale municipality (31.3%), Lira municipality (30.6%), Entebbe (29.2%) and Kampala (23.7%).
The worst performers were Yumbe, where only 0.3% of candidates passed in grade 1. Down on the list are also Manafwa and Gulu (both 0.6%), Moyo and Bukedea (both 0.7%) and Amolotar (0.8%).
The northern and eastern regions generally performed poorer than the central and western regions.
This was attributed to the 20-year insurgency, the Karimojong rustling and the recent floods, which caused massive displacement of people.
Lira, Soroti and Gulu municipalities, however, have picked up and made it to the Top 20 best performers.
Of the 443.554 candidates who sat for PLE, 192,757 – or 46% – passed in Division 2, while 90,060 (21.5%) passed in Division 3 and 47,817 (11.4%) passed in Division 4.
The majority of PLE candidates, almost 90%, were beneficiaries of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme, while about 10% sat in private schools, Bukenya noted.
English and social studies were the subjects where candidates scored the best, while mathematics and science were the worst.
“Examiners have indicated that the performance of candidates was hampered by low level of proficiency in English language,†he explained.
“Some candidates did not understand what the questions required them to answer.â€
The Minister of State for Primary Education, Peter Lokeris, said performance would improve because all the teachers currently being recruited are required to have higher passes in English and Mathematics.
A total of 301,645 pupils obtained aggregate 28 or better, thereby qualifying for Universal Secondary Education.
The state minister for higher education, Gabriel Opio, announced that the selection for Senior One and for technical schools would take place between January 23 and 25.
He also declared that the Government had released funds for USE students who are joining Senior Two.
UNEB also revealed that the results of 290 candidates were cancelled because of cheating, though the schools involved were not named. According to Bukenya most of the cheating involved external assistance.
Other malpractices recorded were impersonation, collusion, substitution and smuggling. He said there was no leakage because of the 7,000 scouts deployed to oversee the examination.
He, however, noted that there had been an increase in the number of incidences where head teachers attempted to bribe and intimidate examination scouts.
Like last year, UNEB declined to give out the lists of the best candidates and schools in each district. Parliament had directed them to stop releasing these details, Bukenya said.
MPs reportedly argued that publishing details of best performers was fuelling unfair competition between schools and was encouraging examination malpractice.
Bukenya only named two inmates in Luzira Prison, Geoffrey Muhumuza and Wilson Sekidde, who passed with aggregate nine.
On a negative note, less than half of the number of pupils who enrolled in P1 seven years ago sat PLE in 2007.
The minister for higher education acknowledged that the high dropout rate in primary schools was of great concern to the Government.
He announced that an inspectorate had been set up to pay three visits to every school per term. Sh2.5b has been put aside for the exercise, which will particularly look into attendance by pupils and teachers.
As another measure to reduce dropout rates, from next year on, all students in Primary Six will automatically be promoted to Primary Seven, the minister added.
More under SCHOOL RESULTS