In a recent development, the fate of approximately 11 students from West Ville High School in Kabarole District became uncertain as their head teacher, Mr. Edson Tumwine, failed to register them for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) exams currently underway.
According to Mr. Tumwine, these students did not confirm their registration in time for the exams, and by the time they realized they hadn’t been registered, it was too late. He contacted the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) on October 12, just one day before the candidates’ briefing, to request registration for the affected students.
Uneb spokesperson Ms. Jenifer Kalule clarified that Mr. Tumwine’s late request posed practical difficulties for the board, as all examination preparations had already been completed by that time. Uneb is now investigating how these students, who had paid their registration fees on time, were left unregistered due to a failure to transmit their details to Uneb.
Ms. Kalule indicated that the administration is ready to support these affected students in case they are granted another opportunity. However, they have already missed six papers since the exams began on Monday.
In a related incident, three students from Kilembe High School in Mitooma District did not appear for the Chemistry Practical exams on Tuesday after taking Geography papers on Monday.
Another situation arose when ten students from Kawempe Crane High School were initially prevented from taking the first paper due to unpaid school fees, eventually involving the police to resolve the matter. After police intervention, they were permitted to take the exams; however, three of these students could not reach the school within the 30-minute time frame set by Uneb and thus missed the first paper. Nevertheless, they were allowed to take Mathematics Paper Two in the afternoon.
Since the UCE exams began, Uneb has reported three significant cases of malpractice. In one case, a head teacher in Kwania District was allegedly involved in tampering with an examination papers envelope. The envelope was found cut below the seal, leading to an investigation.
The second case involved two students from St. Michael Secondary School, Nyagoma, who were accused of exchanging index numbers in two Geography papers and attempting the same during the Chemistry practical exam.
The third case implicated a student from another school who was allegedly found writing answers for the practical paper without actually conducting the practical sessions. Uneb is currently investigating all three of these candidates.
In Nagalama, police arrested a head teacher from Kalagi over allegations of sharing electronic information that was purported to be Uneb examination papers. The suspect was reportedly distributing this fake material from his phone while extorting money from unsuspecting individuals. Ms. Kalule announced that the suspect will face charges related to aiding and abetting malpractice.
In Bushenyi, another head teacher was arrested by the police for allegedly sharing information that was supposedly examination material for a Uneb Biology practical paper. Students are expected to take the Biology practical in the morning and Commerce in the afternoon.
