Schools hike Uneb registration fees

Whereas the Uganda National Examination Board (Uneb) set standard fees for candidates registering to sit for their final exams, some schools across the country are charging between Shs20,000 to Shs30,000.
Uneb set Shs 34,000 as Primary Leaving Examinations registration fees, Shs164,000 for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Shs186,000 for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).

On April 19, while addressing the media in Kampala, the Uneb acting executive officer, Mr Mike Nagosya Masikye, said Section 33 of the Uneb Act, 2021 prohibits charging fees that are not prescribed by the board.  
The Act provides penalties such as a fine of Shs40 million or a maximum jail term of 10 years or both, cancellation of an examination centre and disciplinary measures for teachers who commit the offence. 

However, parents told this publication that some schools are charging more than the prescribed Uneb fees. 
Some of the schools told this publication that the board did not consider, among others, the costs of online registration and securing national identity cards.
As a result, they adjusted the registration fees.

Mr Joab Tumwebarize, the director of Kabale Trinity College in Kabale District, said they agreed to charge an extra Shs20,000 to cater for passport photographs and internet services required to upload the candidates’ details on the Uneb portal.
“The cost of Uneb registration at our school has been increased by Shs20, 000 because we incur extra costs before the candidates are properly registered,”  he explained.

At Vision Secondary School in Kisoro District, Mr Dan Munyambabazi, the school director said parents are paying Shs230,000 as registration fees for Senior Four candidates. 
“Our Senior Four candidates have to pay Shs66, 000 and Senior Six candidates are paying Shs 44,000 as extra fees to cater for administrative costs,” he said.

The director of Victorious Primary School in Kabale District, Mr Julius Arineitwe, said although they charge Shs34,000 as Uneb registration fees for their candidates, each candidate has to pay Shs16,000 for passports and transport costs for the administrators during the examination period.
The head teacher of Bright Horizon Secondary School in Masindi District, Mr Edward Wabyona, said Senior Four candidates are paying Shs170,000 for registration. 

The head teacher of Bright Academy Secondary School in Kasese District, Mr Amon Muhindo Kahumulha, said they are charging Shs200, 000 for Senior Four candidates.
“The registration exercise involves many activities,” he said.
 At Royal Modern Primary School (private), management is charging Shs60,000 for Uneb registration.

Mr Julius Opaso, the head teacher of Teso College Aloet (TCA) said they do not charge examinations fees because Uneb caters for it under the Universal Secondary School (USE) programme except for those that were omitted from the programme due to unavoidable circumstances.
“This is a USE programme. Uneb pays registration fees for all candidates save for repeaters who were omitted from the government programme that pays Shs164,000 for O-Level and Shs186,000 for A-Level,” Mr Opaso said.

The head teacher of Halcyon High School, Mr Mark Paul Onyait, said their candidates are paying the Uneb stipulated fees. 
Mr Sharif Muhoozi, the proprietor of Rahman Kids Campus Primary School in Kimaanya –Masaka, attributed the hike in the exam registration fees to the expenses schools incur in preparing candidates for the final exams.

“We conduct external exams and hire facilitators from other schools to help us prepare the learners for the final exams,” he added. 
Mr  Muhammad Mutebi, the head teacher of KY Day and Boarding School, Masaka, said: “The fee also caters to passport photos for learners, mock fees, and registration of learners at Uneb using the portal. We have always tried to explain this to parents, and they have started appreciating.”  
In Kasese District, Kisinga Vocational Secondary School in Kisinga Town Council in Bukonzo County East, Mr Benjamin Masereka, the school head teacher, said they have maintained Uneb registration fees for both candidate classes.

Mr Godfrey Birungi, the head teacher of Mbarara Secondary School, who doubles as the area supervisor, said:  “Uneb registration fees were not raised, those are rumours.  S4 registration fees is Shs164,000, then S6 is Shs186,000, Mr Farouk Musuuba, the head teacher of Njeru Primary School, Njeru Municipality in Buikwe District, said the government-aided school is charging a registration handling fee of Shs30,000.

In Buwenege Blue Day and Boarding Primary School in Jinja District, the management decided to increase the Uneb fee to Shs50, 000. 
The school director, Mr Muzamiru Musembya, said the additional fee of Shs16,000 is to help in securing passport photos and identity cards, among others.
Ms Hilda Namutosi, the head teacher of MM College Wairaka in Jinja District, said the charges for S4 Uneb fee is Shs168,000 and for UACE is Shs186,000.

At Jinja Secondary School, S4 candidates are paying Shs189,000  and S6 candidates are paying Shs211,000.
In Moyo District, some schools are charging an extra  Shs20,000 or  Shs25,000  to register P7 candidates. 
The head teacher of Moyo Town Council Primary School, Mr Massimo Druwarihwe, said each pupil is expected to pay Shs20,000 to provide ID cards and to pay service providers.
“The response of parents is good because we have engaged them,” he said.

Mr Sammy Bob Okino, the coordinator of Uneb in Lango sub-region, also the head teacher of Lango College, said students under USE and the Universal Post O-Level Education and Training (UPOLET) do not pay exam fees. However, they are charged Shs8,000 for taking passport-size photographs.

The head teacher of Kangai Secondary School, Mr Patrick Okwir Angulu, explained that a candidate who is repeating Senior Four pays Shs164, 000 for registration. A S6 candidate who is repeating is charged Shs186, 000 for registration.

Uneb responds
The Uneb public relations officer, Ms Jennifer Kalule Musumba, said the stipulated fees are clear. She , however, said schools can charge modest fees for administrative costs such as services for  uploading candidates’ details on the Uneb portals.
“We do appreciate there are administrative costs but they shouldn’t go out of hand,”  Ms Kalule  told Monitor  yesterday.

Compiled by Simon Peter Emwamu, George Muron , Ismail Bategeka, Joel Kaguta, Malik Jjingo, Moureen Biira, Rajab Mukombozi, Julius Byamukam, Denis Edema, Abubaker Kirunda, Tausi Nakato, Scovin Iceta, Felix Warom, Ronald Acema, Robert Elema, Bill Oketech , Patrick Ebong , Robert Muhereza ,Julius Hafasha and Emmanuel Arineitwe