4,500 primary teachers fail exams

The acting Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University, Prof Eli Katunguka (left), hands 2015 primary teachers’ colleges examination results to Education minister Janet Museveni in Kampala on Friday. PHOTO BY RACHEL MABALA

What you need to know:

  • At least 237 students were ungraded.
  • English language and Mathematics continued to be the worst done subjects

KAMPALA.

Almost half of teachers who sat last year’s Primary Teachers’ College exams will repeat the papers after they failed at least one of the subjects they offered.

Prof Eli Katunguka, the Kyambogo University acting vice chancellor, said 4,406 students failed the exams representing 41.52 per cent of the 10,612 candidates who registered. Only two candidates had distinctions in 2015 exams compared to 14 candidates who had distinctions in 2014. The students who had credits were 4,508 while 1,459 had passes.

“There has been a decline in performance of candidates as compared to the previous years. Overall pass was at 56.25 per cent. Those who failed were 41.52 per cent,” Prof Katunguka said on Friday during the release of the primary teachers’ results.

At least 237 students were ungraded. English language and Mathematics continued to be the worst done subjects. He attributed the decline in performance to the revised teachers’ curriculum that many people are trying to adjust to.
However, Ms Rose Bwire, the Kyambogo University academic registrar, explained that it will take them another two years to evaluate the impact of the curriculum revised in 2013.

“We usually make reviews for the better. The revised curriculum is only two years old. It is not time to make a conclusion. We are giving it up to one to two years. People always take time to adjust to change. Instead of six subjects we used to have, we now have 13,” Ms Bwire said. Female students performed better than their male counterparts.

The Education minister Janet Museveni Kataha was concerned that the worst done subjects are key in the country’s development and asked the ministry officials to move fast and put interventions to save the situation.

Without giving details, she also hinted on the ministry’s plan to review the entry requirement to primary teachers’ colleges for improved performance.


“I note with concern that the worst done subjects were English language and Mathematics. Something must be done to improve performance in them as we maintain the high percentage passes in others. Deliberate strategies need to be urgently developed. Through a combined effort of the Ministry of Education and Sports and Kyambogo University some measures will be taken. The entry admission requirements shall be reviewed effective 2017,” Ms Museveni said.

In a question and answer session, Ms Bwire explained that they are considering increasing the points from the current pass eight scored by candidates in English language and Mathematics in their Uganda Certificate of Education to at least a credit.
“Our entry points to PTCs is a pass eight in Math and English. But are these enough to get the best out of the teachers? We are looking at Credit Six. The final decision will be taken by Kyambogo University and hopefully implemented next in 2017,” Ms Bwire said.