How does one register for mature entry exams?

Sep 11, 2007

CAREER GUIDANCE<br><br>Dear Jamesa,<br>I am a Grade V secondary school teacher with a second class upper diploma. I specialised in Geography and Religious Studies as my teaching subjects. I passed O’level with first grade and in A’ level, I scored BBC. I missed government sponsorship by 0.2 p

CAREER GUIDANCE

Dear Jamesa,
I am a Grade V secondary school teacher with a second class upper diploma. I specialised in Geography and Religious Studies as my teaching subjects. I passed O’level with first grade and in A’ level, I scored BBC. I missed government sponsorship by 0.2 points only. For six years, I have hunted for a job without any success.

I am now teaching in a primary school because I failed to get a job in a secondary school. I have applied to the Ministry of Education for recruitment six times now without any success! I do not have money to join university on private sponsorship. Should I sit for A level exams again or do I apply for mature age entry? How does one register for mature age entry exams?
M.A

Dear M.A,
Although the Ministry of Education has been carrying out recruitment of secondary school teachers, not all qualified teachers have been absorbed. Like any other advertised job, there is stiff competition for these positions.

The large number of graduate teachers makes it difficult for diploma holders to compete favourably.

However, diploma holders who are specialised in practical subjects like Fine Arts, Home Economics, Woodwork, Technical Drawing, Music, sciences and languages like English, French, German and Kiswahili, have a better chance of being recruited.

You have not mentioned the subjects you studied in A’level, but the grades you scored are good enough to join university on private sponsorship. Let us explore some avenues you could use to join university on government sponsorship:

Sitting for A’level exams
You could register for A’level exams again and study the subjects you are most comfortable with. Although your diploma gives you a competitive edge over the rest of the students, you will still need to work very hard to excel.

Note that the number of government scholarships for Arts courses have been drastically scaled down.

Mature Age Entry Exams
To use this admission avenue
- You should be aged 25 years and above

- You should have been out of school for five or more years.
- You should be able to speak, read and write in English
Mature age entry exam is based on an aptitude, designed to test your reasoning skills. In addition, there are also questions that test quantitative and verbal reasoning skills. You can get government sponsorship depending on your performance on this test. There are limited places for government sponsorship offered to those who excel in these tests.

To register for mature age exams, make enquiries from either Makerere or Kyambogo universities.

You are brilliant enough to excel in any career of your choice. Do not limit yourself. You should choose a career that gives you maximum satisfaction and adequately taps your talents. If you base your career choice on speculated financial gain, you are likely to be disillusioned. Please note that although a degree improves your chances of being recruited, it is not a guarantee for employment.

Before you determine your next step, seek career guidance from a career counsellor.

Compiled by Jamesa Wagwau
Send your questions to
Education Vision, P.O. BOX 9815, Kampala
OR jwagwau@newvision.co.ug
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