Delays, heavy rain disrupt first day of UCE examinations

Students sit Uganda Certificate of Education Examinations. File photo

COUNTRYWIDE- A heavy downpour coupled with bad roads led to late delivery of Uganda Certificate of Education examination materials to some schools across the country.

In Arua, schools in Madi Okollo and Terego counties received papers late as some of the vehicles got stuck on the roads.

The rain, which also affected the central region districts of Rakai, Kalangala, Mpigi, Butambala, Gomba and Kalungu, forced candidates to begin exams hours after the stipulated 9am.

Delays in Mpigi, Butambala and Gomba districts were also attributed to poor planning in the distribution of the papers.

Poor transportation
According to Mr Abdu Kyabangi, the chairperson Gomba District, only one truck was used to distribute exam papers to police stations in Mpigi, Butambala and Gomba, which made it hard for the driver to arrive in the three districts on time.

“The delay caused some anxiety among our candidates. We wish it doesn’t affect their performance. One truck cannot distribute materials in three districts and you expect to keep time,” Mr Abdu Kyabangi, the chairperson Gomba District, said.

Reaction from Uneb
But Uneb executive secretary attributed delays in Kampala to jam and poor roads in Buwama.

These are the only areas that were affected, according to the Uneb secretary general.

“People distributing exams in Buwama got stuck because the road is under construction,” he said yesterday.

Some candidates in Gomba started the first morning paper at midday.

This was also the case with Kalangala, where exam papers reached the islands at about 10am. In other islands like Bukasa, exam materials arrived at 11am as Uneb officials and police officers had to first connect to Kalangala Town and later board a special boat to the island.

Schools like Bishop Dunstan Nsubuga Secondary School and Sserwanga Lwanga Memorial School started their exams at 10am.

By 11am, Bukasa Senior Secondary School, located on Bukasa Island, had not received the exam papers and students were waiting anxiously to begin.

Fifty Senior Four students of Moyo Town Secondary were suspended on Sunday, following a strike on grounds that they were being fed on poor meals.

According to the head teacher, Mr Jefferson Bandruga, the students have been allowed to sit their exams while commuting from home.

“We shall meet with their parents and come up with a decision on whether they should return or continue commuting from home,” he said. The students whose homes are far, were advised to stay with their colleagues until a decision is reached.
In Gulu and Mbarara, the district education officers warned schools against stopping students who had not paid tuition from sitting exams.

This followed news that many secondary schools in the district registered an overwhelming number of candidates with uncleared school fees.

“Any school that stops any student from sitting for exams just because they have not yet paid their school fees will face the law because this is against the policy of Uneb,” the Rev Vincent Ocen Ochieng Oceng, the Gulu District education officer (DEO) said.

At Gulu Senior Secondary School, 74 of 220 students had not cleared their fees by the time exams began, according to the deputy head teacher, Mr Francis Opio, while 21 of 159 students at Gulu College School were yet to pay.

In Mbarara, Lillian Ninsiima, a student of Central High School, only sat for her physics exam after the intervention of DEO Gabriel Ahimbisibwe.

The school head, Mr Vincent Mugisha, had stopped Ninsiima from sitting for her exams over failing to clear her fees balance of Shs59,000.

However, some candidates from Kayabwe High School in Nkozi Sub-county, St Balikuddembe SS and Mitala Maria Hill SS in Buwama Sub-county were barred from sitting exams over failure to complete school fees.

A student who preferred anonymity said although she had registered for the exams, she arrived at the examination centre only to be informed that she would not sit for her physics practical paper because she had failed to pay the balance of school fees for second term.

In Masaka, Bukomansimbi, Kabale and Ntungamo districts, day one of the examinations proceeded smoothly.

Masaka DEO Betty Namagembe said there were no major challenges and that only a few pupils failed to turn up at different schools. She said her office is still compiling a report on those who missed out and why.

In Lamwo District, exams started well except in Lokungu Sub-county, where the delays were as a result of the rain, according to the district education officer, Mr Barnabus Langoya.
Today, in the morning, candidates will sit for Chemistry Paper Three and Music Paper One in the afternoon.

By Felix Warom Okello, Scovin Iceta, John Okot, Cissy Makumbi, Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Henry Lubulwa, Martin E. Ssekweyema, Sadat Mbogo, Fred Anyine, Robert Muhereza, Perez Rumanzi & Moses Ndhaye