The Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) has withheld results of over 1500 candidates who sat for last year's Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) pending completion of investigations over possible exam malpractice.
Today, Friday Uneb released the 2019 PLE results of 695,804 candidates from 13,475 centers. Of these, 473,893 (68.2 per cent) were Universal Primary Education (UPE) candidates and 221,912 (31.8 per cent) privately sponsored candidates. Uneb executive secretary Dan N. Odongo said the board has withheld results of 1,512 candidates from about 40 examination centers, but unlike in previous times, the board will henceforth not release details of the schools whose results are still under investigation.
"Yes, we have not displayed that list [of withheld results] this time. When the examination security committee gives them [candidates] a hearing, some of the results may be released. [However], schools have complained to us before that once we display them in the media and eventually acquitted, there's some damage done to them," Odongo said at Kampala Parents, a private school.
It was the first time Uneb was releasing results from outside its premises or ministry of Education offices. Education and Sports minister Janet Museveni justified the release of the results from Kampala Parents, saying that the Office of the President conference hall in Kampala which usually hosts this function had a malfunction with its air conditioning system.
Odongo insisted that the board has taken a deliberate decision to first conclude the fair hearings to candidates – in about three weeks – then display schools and districts from which results will have been cancelled.
"This is what we shall be doing from now and in the future. Those candidates who will be cleared will have their results released," he said.
"This is much lower than the 3,346 withheld in 2018. Schools whose results are withheld will be notified through their district inspectors of schools," he added.
Although the examination was conducted smoothly, cases of malpractice were reported. Uneb reports indicate that these were mainly cases of external assistance given to candidates by third parties inside examination rooms and circulation of fake papers prior to the examination.
Odongo said that at least 61 persons have so far been arrested from various parts of the country and charged, awaiting court action. Meanwhile, Uneb chairperson Prof Mary Okwakol said the board did not register any case of tampering with the examinations at storage stations.
"As noted last year, the biggest problem still lies with the teachers who assist candidates within examination rooms. This is facilitated by some school administrators," Okwakol said.
She added that in one centre in Mpigi, a scout reported back with Shs 500,000 which had been given to her as a bribe to allow teachers of the schools whose names were withheld to write answers for the candidates.
For candidates whose results have been released, the board has uploaded them on their school portal. However, district and municipal inspectors of schools can collect hard copies of the results from Uneb offices in Ntinda starting today.
The board has urged parents and candidates to utilise the SMS service on mobile networks to get their results instantly. To get 2019 PLE results, got to messages, type PLE, leave a space, type full index number and send to 6600.
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