Administering exams for candidates who missed PLE would set a bad precedent

Kampala.

School heads who misappropriate candidates’ registration fees will be penalised once the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) Bill becomes law, the minister of Education, Janet Museveni, has said.
She said on Thursday during plenary that the bill will soon be presented to the Cabinet.
“The UNEB Bill coming before cabinet soon has very stiff penalties for such heads and directors of schools who swindle registration fees. In the meantime, parents are encouraged to check whether the schools in which they enrol their children are registered by both the ministry of Education and Uganda National Examinations Board," Ms Museveni said.

Ms Museveni was responding to a request by Bunyole West Member of Parliament (MP), James Waluswaka, for the ministry to examine the Class Seven pupils who did not sit for this year’s Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
Mr Waluswaka said: “I want to request that the pupils be given a special exam. I am told UNEB has sets of [examination question] papers. Can’t we set this exam....”
Speaking during the same sitting, Busiro East MP Medard Sseggona asked what remedial compensatory measures the ministry would institute for the candidates who did not sit for PLE because their school heads did not have them registered.
Ms Museveni said administering another examination would set a bad precedent.
“As to whether another examination can be prepared and administered, it should be noted that the examination process starts with the registration in March to end of July...” she said.

“Candidates of a particular year should be assessed using the same instrument to ensure uniformity in grading. Administering a different examination, therefore, to the group that did not sit would be creating another examination within the main examination.”

According to her, remedial exam can only be provided if the given exam was cancelled over serious errors or malpractices.
“Administering an examination for those that have missed is not recommended because it abuses the principals of the exams. It would also be costly,” she added.