More PLE pupils pass in Division One

Mark Jecob Musoke passed with six aggregates (English D1, Mathematics D2, SST D2, Science D1) and in division one at Victor Junior School, Nabbingo, Wakiso. PHOTO/DENISE NAMALE 

What you need to know:

  • In 2020, the number of candidates were more than those in the previous years from 2016 to 2019.

Despite having sat the 2020 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) under extremely unique circumstances because of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were more candidates in Division One and Two compared to the last four years. .

In 2020, the number of candidates were more than those in the previous years from 2016 to 2019.

Results released by Uneb on Friday indicate that of the 725,384 candidates, 79,570 passed in Division One and 66,415 in Division Two whereas of the 677,964 candidates of 2019, 66,415 passed in Division One and 30,8972 in Division Two. 
Tracking from 2016, of the 638,355 results released at that time, 63,370 passed in Division One and 251,543 were in Division Two.

This means that since 2016 to 2020, there has been an increase in the number of candidates who have passed in Division One by 25.5 per cent.

The number of the ungraded candidates or those who fall in grade U has increased compared to last year. For the 2019 candidates, those in grade U stood at 65,070 and this increased to 73,075 in 2020. However, compared with the total number of pupils, the number of those in grade U in terms of percentages remains at 10 per cent for both years.

Going by data in five years, the country registered high pupils in grade U in 2016 with 13 per cent of 638,355 pupils.

The number of candidates, who did not complete all the papers (Division X) has not changed much, it being three per cent (16,693) in 2016 and two per cent for the rest of the other four years.

According to Uneb, candidates who qualify to register for any post primary examination conducted by Uneb are those who have obtained Division One, Two, Three or Four, whereas those in awarded Division U have failed to reach any minimum level of performance.

Christabel Sajjabi (centre) of Hillside Primary School, Naalya, celebrates her performance with her brother Caleb Sajjabi and mother, Ms Sarah Sajjabi. 

Uneb further states that in 2020, more candidates obtained Division One than in 2019 whereas overall pass levels are comparable between the two years and overall more pupils qualify to join the post primary institutions than the previous year. 

The examinations, which should have been sat in November last year, were finally done on March 30 and 31, and the results were released on Friday.

Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the State Minister in charge of Primary Education, said  given the difficult times, a number of students became resilient and did all it took them to be prepared for the exams.

“In the middle of this situation (desperate situation) what else can you do, you have to give your best.  Sometimes problems make you do better than when you are in your comfort zone .The pupils were determined to do everything they can, they were using all other methods, all possible methods,” Dr Kaducu said yesterday.

She added that PLE is an assessment from Primary One up to Seven and by the time pupils reach Primary Six, they should have covered 75 per cent of the entire syllabus.

“In Primary Seven, they (pupils) are only covering 25 per cent. The examination covers the entire primary section,” Dr Kaducu said.

According to the Ministry of Education, the Covid-19 pandemic, has portrayed that the country must embrace new methods on top of that traditional learning methods.