Only 160,000 Will Go To Secondary School
Feb 02, 2003
THE jubilation over the 2002 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results has been short-lived. With 74.5% or 272,932 of the 366,182 candidates passing, the nightmare to many parents and guardians is now how to beat the stiff competition for vacancies at the post-primary institutions.<br>
By John Eremu
Over 100,000 candidates who passed PLE will be left out in the cold at the next level
THE jubilation over the 2002 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results has been short-lived. With 74.5% or 272,932 of the 366,182 candidates passing, the nightmare to many parents and guardians is now how to beat the stiff competition for vacancies at the post-primary institutions.
“My son has got aggregate six. But I am worried he will not be admitted to the schools of his choice. I just have to start running around now,†said worried Florence, a mother of a candidate.
Florence’s remarks reflect a dilemma of many parents. With both government and private secondary schools only able to absorb about 160,000 students, over 100,000 qualified candidates will be left in the cold.
According to the Ministry of Education Statistical Abstract 2001, the 601 government aided schools and 1,124 private and community secondary schools can only take 155,937 students in senior one. The junior technical schools can roughly take another 10,000 students. The community polytechnics are yet to kick off.
Education Minister, Dr. Khiddu Makubuya, said the ministry was at the final stages of completing the Basic Framework for post primary education and training which would provide a forward linkage for the Universal Primary Education (UPE) graduates.
The challenge of increasing capacity at the post primary level will even be worsened when the first UPE cohort, estimated at 700,000, sit their PLE this year.
The most interesting thing about last year’s PLE was not the improvement in overall performance but the demystification of mathematics as a difficult subject.
Mathematics which has traditionally been the worst-performed subject turned out to be the best, achieving accumulative pass level of 80.1% followed by basic science, 76.4%, social studies (SST) 74.1% and English 70%.
In the previous examination, SST was the best done followed by Basic Science, English and Mathematics.
Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) secretary, Matthew Bukenya, said the number of cancelled results dropped from last year’s 12,065 to only 63 thanks to the vigilance of the UNEB scouts.
Although 8.9% or 32,686 of the candidates passed in Division One, up from 8.3% or 27,141 candidates the previous year, the number of failures also rose by over 4% from 21.2% to 25.5% or 93,250 of the candidates failing over the same period.
The examiners pointed out the usual reasons for poor performance ranging from poor proficiency in English language to teaching methodology. They said most candidates also lacked depth in answering the examination questions.
“It is a general feeling of examiners that performance could be improved if teachers encouraged candidates to answer questions in greater depth and width than they did,†Bukenya said.
Urban schools, particularly those in central region maintained their lead over rural schools in performance.
Kampala maintained its top position among the districts with 38.6% or 7,885 of the 21,280 candidates passing in Division One up from 34% the previous year. Wakiso kept its second position with 29.1% of the candidates in Division One as opposed to 24% the previous year.
Mukono dislodged Rukungiri from the third place with 13.4% followed by Busia 11.6%, Masaka - 9.7%, Masindi - 9.6%, Kabarole and Luwero 9.5%, Kotido and Rukungiri - 8.9%, Mbale - 8.0%, Hoima - 7.4% and Kanungu - 7.3%.
Bundibugyo replaced Kibaale as the worst performing district with only 0.2% or just four of the 2,390 candidates obtaining Division One. It was followed from the bottom by Kyenjojo and Kaberamaido, each with a paltry 0.8% of the candidates in Division One, Sironko - 1.2%, Apac - 1.3%, Kapchorwa and Kamwenge 1.6%, Kibaale and Bugiri 1.8% and Kalangala 2.0%.
Despite the fact that women outnumber men in Uganda and the introduction of UPE, which should have narrowed the gender disparity in schools, fewer girls than boys sat for the 2002 PLE. Overall performance also showed boys beating girls.
Of the 32,686 candidates who obtained Division One, 13, 293 or 40.6% were girls. Girls also constituted only 38.7% of those in Division Two but faired well at Division Three and Four. with 46.7% and 43.0% respectively.
However, up to 52.4% of the failures were girls while for unclear reasons boys constituted 56% of those who registered but failed to sit the examinations. Ends
Over 100,000 candidates who passed PLE will be left out in the cold at the next level
THE jubilation over the 2002 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results has been short-lived. With 74.5% or 272,932 of the 366,182 candidates passing, the nightmare to many parents and guardians is now how to beat the stiff competition for vacancies at the post-primary institutions.
“My son has got aggregate six. But I am worried he will not be admitted to the schools of his choice. I just have to start running around now,†said worried Florence, a mother of a candidate.
Florence’s remarks reflect a dilemma of many parents. With both government and private secondary schools only able to absorb about 160,000 students, over 100,000 qualified candidates will be left in the cold.
According to the Ministry of Education Statistical Abstract 2001, the 601 government aided schools and 1,124 private and community secondary schools can only take 155,937 students in senior one. The junior technical schools can roughly take another 10,000 students. The community polytechnics are yet to kick off.
Education Minister, Dr. Khiddu Makubuya, said the ministry was at the final stages of completing the Basic Framework for post primary education and training which would provide a forward linkage for the Universal Primary Education (UPE) graduates.
The challenge of increasing capacity at the post primary level will even be worsened when the first UPE cohort, estimated at 700,000, sit their PLE this year.
The most interesting thing about last year’s PLE was not the improvement in overall performance but the demystification of mathematics as a difficult subject.
Mathematics which has traditionally been the worst-performed subject turned out to be the best, achieving accumulative pass level of 80.1% followed by basic science, 76.4%, social studies (SST) 74.1% and English 70%.
In the previous examination, SST was the best done followed by Basic Science, English and Mathematics.
Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) secretary, Matthew Bukenya, said the number of cancelled results dropped from last year’s 12,065 to only 63 thanks to the vigilance of the UNEB scouts.
Although 8.9% or 32,686 of the candidates passed in Division One, up from 8.3% or 27,141 candidates the previous year, the number of failures also rose by over 4% from 21.2% to 25.5% or 93,250 of the candidates failing over the same period.
The examiners pointed out the usual reasons for poor performance ranging from poor proficiency in English language to teaching methodology. They said most candidates also lacked depth in answering the examination questions.
“It is a general feeling of examiners that performance could be improved if teachers encouraged candidates to answer questions in greater depth and width than they did,†Bukenya said.
Urban schools, particularly those in central region maintained their lead over rural schools in performance.
Kampala maintained its top position among the districts with 38.6% or 7,885 of the 21,280 candidates passing in Division One up from 34% the previous year. Wakiso kept its second position with 29.1% of the candidates in Division One as opposed to 24% the previous year.
Mukono dislodged Rukungiri from the third place with 13.4% followed by Busia 11.6%, Masaka - 9.7%, Masindi - 9.6%, Kabarole and Luwero 9.5%, Kotido and Rukungiri - 8.9%, Mbale - 8.0%, Hoima - 7.4% and Kanungu - 7.3%.
Bundibugyo replaced Kibaale as the worst performing district with only 0.2% or just four of the 2,390 candidates obtaining Division One. It was followed from the bottom by Kyenjojo and Kaberamaido, each with a paltry 0.8% of the candidates in Division One, Sironko - 1.2%, Apac - 1.3%, Kapchorwa and Kamwenge 1.6%, Kibaale and Bugiri 1.8% and Kalangala 2.0%.
Despite the fact that women outnumber men in Uganda and the introduction of UPE, which should have narrowed the gender disparity in schools, fewer girls than boys sat for the 2002 PLE. Overall performance also showed boys beating girls.
Of the 32,686 candidates who obtained Division One, 13, 293 or 40.6% were girls. Girls also constituted only 38.7% of those in Division Two but faired well at Division Three and Four. with 46.7% and 43.0% respectively.
However, up to 52.4% of the failures were girls while for unclear reasons boys constituted 56% of those who registered but failed to sit the examinations. Ends