School heads arrested after blocking candidates from sitting PLE

Police in Mpigi District have arrested the head teacher of Kisumba Foundation School in Buwama Sub County over reports that he refused to register four candidates to sit Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) which commenced Wednesday.

Of the 16 candidates at the school, the suspect reportedly registered only 12 with Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) despite the four paying registration fees of Shs70, 000 each.
According to Mr Karim Majid, the Katonga regional police spokesperson, the suspect was arrested on Wednesday morning at Bunjako Island as he attempted to flee board a boat to flee the district through Lake Victoria.

Mr Majid said their preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect denied the candidates a chance to sit their final exams under the pretext that they were ‘academically weak’.

“After receiving complaints from the parents that their children had been blocked from writing their final exams, we embarked on a search and arrested the head teacher,” he said.
He is currently detained at Buwama Police Station awaiting prosecution.
Mpigi District Inspector of Schools, Mr Gerald Katongole condemned the actions of the head teacher, saying it contradicts the Ministry of Education guidelines.

"If the head teacher never wanted the candidates to sit [the exams] from his school, he could have communicated to the parents earlier, other than waiting for the exams time. He [suspect] has now ruined their future and they have to wait for another year to sit their final exams because of his selfish interests,” he said.
 Meanwhile, Police in Kayunga District are holding the director of Khan Seat of Wisdom who had gone into hiding after failing to register a candidate to sit her final PLE exams.

 Phionah Naikesa, 14, was the only Primary Seven candidate at school.
 Kayunga District Police Commander, Ms Rosette Sikahwa said the school director joins the head teacher of the same school who was arrested Wednesday morning
Ms Jennifer Nazziwa, the mother of Naikesa who was at Kayunga Central Police Station where they had gone to report the matter told this publication that she registered her daughter to sit the exams  in May after paying  Shs120,000.

However Ms Nazziwa said she was shocked when the school director sent away her daughter from school on Tuesday on allegations that she had not paid Shs30,000 meant for her welfare during the examination period.
But Ms Nazziwa said she later went to the school and asked the director about the extra fee and it was at this time that Mr Ozo told her that her daughter was not going to sit for PLE but he (director) would  “play a trick” that will enable her join senior one next year.
“The Director told me he usually plays tricks whereby pupils join senior one without sitting for PLE. This shocked me. I went and reported Kangulumira Police Station,” Ms Nazziwa said.

 A detective at Kayunga Police Station said the mother and her daughter had recorded statements and investigations had commenced.
But the school director told this publication on phone that Naikesa had not registered for PLE.

 A sobbing Naikesa said she had spent sleepless nights revising, with her peasant mother doing odd jobs to be able to pay her school fees for seven years, hoping she would sit her final primary exams this year.
“I ask Uganda National Examinations Board to allow me sit my papers since it is not my fault as a candidate,” he said.

Mr Dan Bubaale, the Kayunga District education officer said he was investigating the matter, adding that he would ensure that the culprits are prosecuted.
"We have tried to sensitise parents on how to find out that their pupils were not registered for Uneb, but it seems they didn't take our advice," he said.

A total of 749,371 Primary Seven candidates started their final exams at 14,778 centre  Wednesday (November 8)  –writing Mathematics Paper in the morning and Social Studies & Religious Education in the afternoon. Tomorrow, the candidates will do Integrated Science Paper in the morning and close with English in the afternoon.