Over 25,000 candidates sit technical exams

A total of 25,474 students have today began their April to June Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) examinations across the country.
 The Executive Secretary of Uganda Business and Technical Examination Board (Ubteb), Mr Onesmus Oyesigye, said of these, 10,931 are female and 14,543 are male who will sit their exams at 257 centres.
 “These are generally Diploma awarding institutions, that is why the number of candidates is not as high as usual,” Mr Oyesigye said.
 The  programmes include Technical and Vocational Studies, Physical Science, Biology and Agricultural Science, Business and Humanities.
 
Mr Oyesigye said the board has deployed 257 examination managers that include monitors, 243 practical assessors and verifiers to conduct on-the-spot assessment of candidates.
Addressing journalists on Saturday at their offices in Ntinda, Mr Oyesigye said the board also registered 52 candidates with special needs that include Dyslexia, visual impairment, hard of hearing and physical disability. 
 “You know originally people with special needs didn’t know that they have opportunities in TVET, but now they are coming up and they are increasing in numbers,” Mr Oyesigye said.
 The board has deployed five support personnel to provide sign language interpretation and translations, while learners with other special needs will be accorded extra 30 minutes.
 Mr Oyesigye urged candidates to desist from examination malpractice saying results of culprits will be cancelled. 
“We are at the end and people we pass out have to serve in communities in very delicate processes like building and drawing plans, so we have to be careful with the people that we churn out to communities,” he said.

 Dr Wilfred Nahamya, Ubteb’s deputy executive secretary, said the board has encouraged institutions to use local materials to reduce the financial burden on parents and students. 
“We have been encouraging institutions to use less costly materials but generally as a board, we pre- test all practical materials before we take them to institutions to ensure that we minimise the cost of materials,” Mr Nahamya said.
 He said the practical materials fror the exams have been tested by the board to ensure their quality.