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Uneb to hire 60,000 to monitor PLE
State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang addresses district, municipalities, and city school inspectors responsible for monitoring Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) at Uneb offices in Kyambogo on September 20, 2023. PHOTO/ABUBAKER LUBOWA
What you need to know:
- According to Uneb, PLE is difficult to monitor due to the large number of candidates.
The Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) Executive Director, Mr Daniel Odongo, has announced plans to hire 60,000 individuals across the country to monitor the upcoming Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
The announcement was made during a meeting with district, municipalities, and city school inspectors who are responsible for coordinating the administration of PLE.
According to Mr Odongo, PLE is one of the most challenging exams conducted by the board due to the large number of candidates.
“While PLE is conducted over two days, it feels like a month for us due to the vast number of participants.” Mr Odongo said.
PLE is organised and coordinated by district inspectors of schools in collaboration with Uneb.
More than 200 district inspectors attended the meeting at Uneb offices in Kyambogo, Kampala, and were given the green light to recruit chief invigilators, invigilators, scouts, and personnel responsible for distributing examination papers to the examination centres.
Mr Odongo explained: “These individuals have a significant role to play because we need to employ at least 60,000 people to handle various tasks during the exams. However, some local governments do not have the funds to facilitate them, hence we have to come in.”
Inspectors were yesterday also provided with materials to be used during PLE, including timetables for all pupils, lists of examination centres and primary schools across the country, and exam distribution routes.
PLE is the second set of examinations following the Uganda Certificate of Education, which are scheduled for next month on October 16. The Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education will be the final set of examinations held in November.
Representing the Minister of Education at the function was State Minister for Sports Peter Ogwang who emphasised the importance of preventing malpractice during the upcoming examinations.
“We cannot continue to lament the same issue. Uneb reports that some districts appear before the security committee every year due to malpractice. This is unacceptable and should result in sanctions,” Mr Ogwang said.
He urged district inspectors to remain vigilant, particularly during the distribution phase and at the school level where exam leaks tend to occur. He also encouraged them to relay the same messages to the individuals they will be recruiting, emphasising that unprofessional conduct undermines the country’s values and must be stopped.
Meanwhile, Ms Kellen Ayebazibwe, the chairperson of the Uganda National Inspectors Schools Association (UNISA), raised concerns about impassable roads in remote areas, which worsen during the rainy season.
She explained: “We lack vehicles to distribute PLE materials to different examination centres, especially during the rainy season. Some distributors resort to using motorcycles, which poses risks.”
Inspectors also lamented about bureaucratic delays in fund processing at local governments.
Mr Odongo tasked the inspectors with identifying the challenges they are likely to face during the rainy season so that Uneb can provide the necessary financial support.
