Uganda Education News: UCE results show poor performance in practical exams

UNEB Secretary, Matthew Bukenya handing over the results to Education minister, Alupo Jessica.

Ultimate Media

Leaders of private education institutions have appealed to the government to provide them financial support to set up science labs.

This follows the release of the 2011 senior four UCE results by UNEB indicating massive failures by students in sciences, geography and accounts.

The students mainly registered failures in biology where over a half of those who sat failed, in addition to grossly failing chemistry where three quarters of the students didn’t pass.

Other subjects done poorly according to secretary to UNEB Mathew Bukenya were geography, maths and accounts.

The students were however, able to perform in arts subjects’ mainly English, literature, CRE and History with female students leading in English while males performed in other subjects except Maths and sciences.

He says performance in sciences has continued to be poor especially in private schools which lack teachers and laboratory equipments, adding that in government schools equipments are there, but evidence shows that they are not used in teaching process. 

Bukenya says this has been reflected in poor performance of students in practical examinations as students exhibit lack of skills in handling apparatus, making observations, recording data and plotting graphs, even theory questions that require practical experience were extremely poorly done.

Bukenya said that the entity was withholding results for 1631 candidates. These are being investigated over massive malpractice, saying when investigations are completed, UNEB will forward the names of those persons believed to have abetted the malpractice to the relevant authorities for appropriate action.

He attributed the poor performance of students to bad whether in most parts of the country and malpractice.

He said despite the poor performance in sciences, a large of number students totaling to 254220 have passed compared to 2010’s 241456, adding that the failure rate has continued to be low.

In total, 273363 students were registered but 267024 sat, indicating that 6357 students dodged the exams even after having been registered. 

Out of 267024 students who sat, a mere 22630 passed in division one, 48452 division two, 67644 division three, 115494 division four and 11173 registered massive failures, excluding those whose results are still being withheld by the ministry.

The results indicated that Kampala, Wakiso, Jinja, Mukono, Butambala, Otuke, Mbarara, Luweero performed better, while the worst performing districts included Amudat, Nakapiririt as they didn’t get even a single first grade. Others that performed badly with less grade ones included Lamwo district, Bulambuli, Amuria and Serere districts.

Meanwhile, education minister Jessica Alupo promised hell for the schools whose results will be cancelled and therefore tasked UNEB to forward the list of the schools whose results will be cancelled after investigations for action.

She says the vice of malpractice continues to raise its ugly face a matter she said it is disappointing and shameful that the results withheld have been mainly due to assistance given by teachers in examination rooms. 

Alupo termed this as unprofessional and goes against teachers’ code of conduct.