What next for parents, pupils after PLE results

The release of 2020 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) results yesterday left parents, teachers and learners with more questions than answers. 

Authorities at the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) released PLE results during lockdown amid protests from sector players who questioned the government motive.

The decision to release PLE results without a clear return- to- school schedule,  threw one of the worst hit sector into confusion with some parents accusing Education minister Janet Kataha Museveni of putting a cart before the horse.

Education experts said it was not wise for Uneb to release the PLE results at a time when the country is at war with a global coronavirus pandemic that has killed 2,286 people in Uganda. They have also demanded for a clear education road map and talked of more confusion in the education sector since there is no “advancement plan”.

Mr Patrick Kirabira, the chairperson of the National Private Education Institutions Association, said the Education Ministry should have first, fast-tracked the promotion of other classes before releasing the results to create room.

“The whole idea of releasing exams without a clear education road map, causes anxiety among the parents, learners as they think they are going back to school and yet this is not the case this time,” Mr Kirabira said by telephone yesterday.

The educationist added that as private school owners, they are not much anxious to have the schools reopen but there must be a clear programme by government to bridge the existing education gaps that might result into having two senior one classes.

“Having two classes is inevitable. There should have been a delay in the release of these PLE results so as to fast-track the other classes. The release of results will mean an automatic promotion of this lot that has just received their results and yet the other lot is still in the same class,” Mr Kirabira said.

“The ministry has been coming up with programs which are not in line with the pandemic we are facing. But I think this time, they should be more serious, we are not anxious to have the schools opened. We are much into the modalities put in place for the learners to resume classes. It sounds hypothetical.” 

Mr Philbert Baguma, the Secretary General of Uganda National Teachers’ Union (Unatu), called upon government and relevant stakeholders now that PLE results have been release, to have automatic promotion for all classes if they are to avoid a scenario of having two classes for each level.

“Right now, we don’t have much that we can do because of the current lock down. PLE results have been released and remember, the current Senior One students only studied for about two months and they were sent home, now meaning at every entry point, we shall be having two classes,”Mr Baguma said.

He added: “My appeal is that let the classes transit and then roll out catch-up programmes if we are to move on smoothly. Some of the students have grown up physically and may refuse to remain in the same class for two years. Another challenge is if there is no automatic promotion, we might experience a challenge of limited infrastructure and human resource because of having two classes at each level.”

Mr Baguma also said there is a big likelihood that some parents will transfer  their children to other schools if the former schools refuse to promote them to the next class and that the answer to this challenge is a uniform promotion for all pupils and students to the next class.

Likewise, Ms Margaret Nakafeero, the head teacher of Lohana Academy in Kampala just like Mr Kirabira, wondered why Uneb hurried to release exams during a total lockdown when even parents can’t move to get school admissions for their children.

“This time round, we are not having hard copies of the results. We need to get provisional results which have to be presented but the schools are closed due to the lockdown, meaning parents can’t get to school to get these certificates,”

“The secondary schools which the parents are supposed to take these results certificates to, are also closed, so what is the purpose of releasing the results, even then, the current Senior Ones haven’t yet been promoted to Senior Two and yet the release of results means automatic promotion to senior one,” she added.

In her address yesterday shortly after she had released the results at State House Entebbe, the Education Minister, Janet Museveni, said the senior one selection dates will be communicated after the current lockdown is lifted.

“Regarding selection exercise for Senior One, the details shall be communicated to you in due course but not before the lockdown has been lifted. Keep safe by observing the SOPs for Covid-19 as communicated by the Ministry of Health,” Ms Museveni said.

The practice has been that head teachers gather for senior selection in the city shortly after the release of the results like after a period of a week after or mere days.

President Museveni last month, announced a 42-day lockdown as a measure to curb the rising numbers of Covid-19 infections that saw the closure of schools, among other institutions. The 42 days lapse at the end of this month.