What are the options after PLE?

KAMPALA:

A candidate, according to Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) results, is considered to have passed Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) if he or she attains Grades 1 to 4.

The results released by Uneb yesterday, show that 541,089 out of 640,833 candidates who sat PLE last year qualified to proceed for post-primary education. This means 99,744 candidates are unlikely to continue their education beyond Primary Seven.

Mr James Tweheyo, the secretary general of Uganda National Teachers Union (Unatu), attributed the high failure rates to the automatic promotion policy in government-aided schools and poor learning environment in rural and government schools.

“It is unfortunate such a big number of candidates failed PLE. Such children and their parents become distressed as their hopes are set aback,” Mr Tweheyo said.

However, Mr Tweheyo said a candidate who did not excel at PLE should seek vocational skills instead of repeating P.7.

“Failing PLE does not mean children have become total failures. They can now go for available options in their communities such as hands-on skills such as tailoring,” Mr Tweheyo said. Mr Robert Emitu, the principal of Masulita Vocational Training Centre, said there are a number of vocational training institutions across the country, which such children can join.

“When such children come, we train them in a number of practical courses such as bricklaying, plumbing, catering, and mechanical engineering,” Mr Emitu said.

These courses take six to three years for one to qualify for a Uganda Junior Technical Certificate or Community Polytechnic Certificate equivalent to the Uganda Certificate of Education.

Mr Aggrey Ofwono, the principal of Mbale Community Polytechnic Institute, also said the unlucky candidates should not seek to re-sit exams because there is no guarantee they will better results.

“By the time Uneb declares you a failure, it means your performance was the worst. So, re-sitting PLE may not turn things around in one year. A candidate may fail again and hates school forever,” Mr Ofwono cautioned.

Like Mr Tweheyo, Mr Christopher Ojangole, the principal of Benedictine Vocational Training and Production Centre, encouraged learners who cannot proceed to secondary schools to join vocational studies.

He said there are many job opportunities in courses like welding, tailoring or hotel management, which students who run for secondary education and then university do not get.

“Majority of university students leave without skills but our students are practical,” Mr Ojangole said.

When a student gets an elementary certificate, he can be elevated to study an advanced certificate, diploma and even a degree.
Mr Robinson Nsumba Lyanzi, the commissioner for Private Schools and Institutions at the Ministry of Education and Sports, last year advised candidates who failed national examinations to seek skilling themselves.
He challenged them to ignore the negative perception about vocational education and seek professional technical knowledge in order to fit in the competitive world.

Vocational institutes
There are many vocational or technical institutions in Uganda, including Lukole Community Poly-technique in Kabale District, Ngugo Technical School in Mbarara, Kapchorwa Technical School, Mubende Community Poly-technique, and Rweiziringiro Technical School in Isingiro.

Others include; Kakiika Technical school in Mbarara, Uganda Martyrs Vocational Training Institute Soroti, Namisindwa Teachnical School in Manafwa, Kadogo Teachnical School, Wera Technical School in Amuria and Masulita Vocational Training College.

Although vocational education is viewed by many as an option for failures, in an earlier interview with this newspaper, Mr John Twesigye, the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB) executive secretary, said the number of students enrolling for the technical courses has almost doubled.