The future of at least 11 students from West Ville High School in Kabarole District remains uncertain as it has come to light that their principal failed to enroll them for the ongoing Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations.
According to Mr. Edson Tumwine, the head teacher, he notified the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) yesterday, stating that the students in question had not confirmed their registration in time for the exams.
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Mr. Tumwine claimed that the candidates realized they hadn’t been registered only when it was too late.
Uneb spokesperson, Ms. Jenifer Kalule, mentioned that Mr. Tumwine approached Uneb on October 12, a day before the candidates’ briefing, asking the board to register the affected students. However, she stated that it was practically impossible for the board to register them as all preparations had been finalized.
Ms. Kalule added that Uneb has instructed the police to investigate how the students, who had timely paid their registration fees, were not registered due to their details not being submitted to Uneb.
Furthermore, Ms. Kalule revealed that the administration was willing to assist the affected students if given another opportunity. The students have missed six papers since the exams commenced on Monday.
In a similar incident, three students from Kilembe High School in Mitooma District were absent for the Chemistry Practical exams on Tuesday after sitting for Geography papers on Monday.
Additionally, ten students from Kawempe Crane High School initially faced obstacles sitting for the first paper due to unpaid school fees. The situation escalated to the point where police intervention was necessary. Following police involvement, they were allowed to take the exams. However, three students couldn’t reach the school within the 30-minute deadline stipulated by Uneb and missed the first paper. Nevertheless, they were permitted to sit for Mathematics Paper Two in the afternoon.
Since the beginning of the UCE exams on Monday, Uneb has reported three major cases of malpractice.
One of the cases involves a head teacher from a school in Kwania District who allegedly brought the exam paper envelope with a cut beneath the seal. The officials at the examination center confirmed the envelope was intact before the head teacher picked it up. The case has been handed over to the police for further investigation.
Another incident includes two students from St. Michael Secondary School, Nyagoma, who purportedly wrote each other’s index numbers on two Geography papers on Monday and attempted to do the same during the Chemistry practical on Tuesday.
The third case involves a student from another school who allegedly provided answers for the practical paper without conducting the practical sessions. All three students are currently under Uneb’s investigation.
Regarding malpractice allegations, the police in Nagalama arrested a head teacher of a school in Kalagi for supposedly sharing electronic information claiming to be Uneb examination papers. The suspect was reportedly distributing the fake material from his phone and extorting money from unsuspecting members of the public. Ms. Kalule announced that he would be brought to court to answer charges of aiding and abetting malpractice.
In Bushenyi, another head teacher was arrested by the police for allegedly disseminating information claiming to be examination material for a Uneb Biology practical paper. Students are expected to take the Biology practical in the morning and Commerce in the afternoon.
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