Makerere should revise its grading system

Oct 06, 2009

EDITOR—Apart from the fact that it is much easier to get an upper second class degree at Makerere University nowadays, Makerere seems to have changed its grading system.

EDITOR—Apart from the fact that it is much easier to get an upper second class degree at Makerere University nowadays, Makerere seems to have changed its grading system.

This is especially in regard to marks obtained from supplementary examinations. In my case, I had four supplementaries in my 1996 second year course and scored way above 85% in all of them.

But to my chagrin, in those days all you could get out of a supplementary was the 50% pass mark! Largely because of that, I went on to score a pass degree (a C average between 50% and 59%).

More than 10 years later it cost me admission into some American universities for a masters course! Students at Makerere today are awarded their full score out of a supplementary examination.

The result is that every Tom, Dick and Harry is parading first and second class degrees yet the typical Makerere graduate today is evidently inferior to the 70s, 80s or 90s graduate. Makerere, shouldn’t this policy be revisited?

James Taylor Mwesigwa
Kampala

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