Why 17,000 pupils did not turn up for exams

(Left to right) Daniel Kizza (Agg 6), Gilbest Mama (Agg 6), Nelson Daniel (Agg 4), Claire Drate Ninzikuru (Agg 4) of Redeemer Children’s Primary School in Adjumani District celebrate their PLE performance. Photo by Colleb Mugume

What you need to know:

  • The high absenteeism rattled Education minister Janet Museveni at the release of the exams in Kampala on Thursday, when she called for an investigation to establish the cause.
  • Mr Robinson Lyanzi, the commissioner for private schools and Institutions at the Education ministry, agrees that a solution should be found, adding that head teachers should explain the candidates’ absenteeism.

Kampala- A total of 17,788 pupils who registered for the 2016 Primary Living Examinations (PLE) did not turn up for the exams, according to Mr Dan Odongo, the Uneb executive secretary.

The high absenteeism rattled Education minister Janet Museveni at the release of the exams in Kampala on Thursday, when she called for an investigation to establish the cause.

However, this is not the first time that such numbers of absenteeism at exams are being registered. In 2015, there were 19,614 pupils who did not turn up for exams while in 2014 the number was 17,788, and in 2013, it stood at 19,959 pupils.
But what could explain this missing numbers at exams?

Mr James Tweheyo, the Uganda National Teachers Union (Unatu) general secretary, attributes the no show at PLE to defilement, lack of school necessities, unfriendly school environment and fraud by head teachers.

“Some girls may be forced to drop out once they start their menses and there is need to provide the sanitary wears,” he says.

Mr Tweheyo believes it should be now that the Education ministry acted seriously on schools whose candidates missed out on the PLE. He recommends working with the sub-county intelligence officers and local leaders.

“When we talk of schools, we talk about villages and sub-counties. It is useless to give figures without finding solutions. Majority of candidates who missed out on PLE are from government-aided schools and that means a lot is invested in them,” Mr Tweheyo said.

Mr Robinson Lyanzi, the commissioner for private schools and Institutions at the Education ministry, agrees that a solution should be found, adding that head teachers should explain the candidates’ absenteeism.

He said they are analysing the details of schools whose candidates did not turn up for the PLE to establish and identify them in every sub-county.
“It is a major concern and we are interested in getting their details and finding possible solutions. Why would a candidate register for final exams and not turn up? It is wastage of his or her future,” Mr Lyanzi says.

Mr Lyanzi puts the blame on teachers who stop candidates from sitting the final exams because they think their performance could shame their schools. He also blames negligence of parents who he said were ignorant of the value of education.

“We are going to use district education commissions to trace the schools whose candidates missed sitting PLE. They must account for them. How can a child struggle for seven years and misses out on the final papers?” Mr Lyanzi asked
From the observations above, it would, indeed, be useless to mention the huge figures of absenteeism year in and year out without finding a solution.
It should be now that the Education ministry follows through Ms Museveni’s order and start investigations to establish why the tens of thousands of pupils miss the exams.