Govt bans public display of Uneb results
First Lady and education minister Janet Museveni displays 2024 UACE results during their release at State House Nakasero on March 14, 2025. PHOTO/ISAAC KASAMANAI
What you need to know:
- Schools must refrain from displaying results on notice boards, social media platforms, or any other public forums.
The Ministry of Education and Sports has banned schools from publishing candidates’ national examination results in the media, citing violations of the Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019.
The ban follows a directive by First Lady and Minister of Education Janet Kataaha Museveni, warning schools against sharing individual learners’ results publicly. In a circular dated May 7, 2025, addressed to all school heads and proprietors, the ministry expressed concern over the continued public display of individual scores, result slips, and photographs across various media platforms and billboards.
The circular, signed by the Education Ministry Permanent Secretary, Dr Kedrace Turyagenda, emphasises that schools must refrain from sharing names or photographs of candidates and should instead provide general performance summaries.
“This practice violates the Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019, and puts learners and their families at risk of undue stress, anxiety, and possible harassment or stigma,” the circular reads in part. School administrators have been instructed to communicate examination results privately to learners and their parents or guardians, either through sealed letters or secure digital platforms.
Additionally, the ministry has banned the use of examination results for marketing or promotional purposes. Instead, schools are encouraged to showcase their achievements through co-curricular activities, community outreach, and development initiatives.
“Schools must refrain from displaying results on notice boards, social media platforms, or any other public forums. Where necessary, a general performance summary may be shared without revealing names or photographs of individual candidates,” the circular adds.
The ministry warned that failure to comply with this directive is punishable under Section 36 of the Data Protection and Privacy Act, which outlines penalties for non-compliance.
This latest move follows Ms Museveni’s earlier directive during the release of the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results in February, when she banned the publication of Uneb results in newspapers, on school notice boards, and other public platforms. She emphasised that both Uneb and other exam bodies must respect the law that protects individuals’ personal information from unauthorised disclosure.
