By Denis Jjuuko
Candidates in the fourth year of their secondary education are currently sitting this year’s Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) or Ordinary Level (O-Level) exams across the country. These are important national exams that play a big part in determining the student’s career.
After sitting these exams, some students continue to do two years of Advanced Level (A-Level) for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) before joining university or other tertiary institutions. Many though don’t continue to A-Level. Some go to tertiary institutions or end their academic journey here.
Actually, studies show that the highest level of education the majority of Africans ever attain is secondary education. It must be made meaningful for them but also those who have a chance to get their certificates they should.
Technically, if one doesn’t sit their UCE exams, they are simply considered to have ended their education at primary level. It is important then that students who enroll into secondary education at least sit their final O-Level or A-level exams.
But that isn’t always the case in Uganda. Every October or November for as long as I can recall, newspapers are awash with stories of a headteacher or school owner who received money from students for national exam registration and vanished into thin air.
See, the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) charges some fees for students to sit their national exams. Schools are responsible for collecting this money and passing it over to UNEB. After receiving this money, UNEB then organizes and administers the exams.
Many students turn up with mathematical sets, pens and everything they need to sit for their national exams at the respect school or accredited examination centres to be informed that they aren’t on the list of the expected candidates and therefore UNEB didn’t consider them and can’t sit for exams. Reason, UNEB didn’t receive their money and therefore didn’t register them.
The headteacher or school owner who collected the money from the students or their parents/guardians is usually nowhere to be seen. Students plead to UNEB to allow them sit for exams but it ends up to nothing.
Desperate, students run to police or resident district commissioners but still nothing happens. Four, five or even seven (for primary) years of preparation are wasted. For many of these students, the journey to suffering starts here. Education is an enabler, a key that opens many doors for most people. To stand for president or Member of Parliament (MP) in Uganda for example, the highest academic level one needs to have attained is A-Level. If a teacher or school owner eats this money, they are, perhaps, denying the country a future MP or even president.
But isn’t there something UNEB could do to avert this annual crisis that has perhaps existed since the body was founded? I believe there is a lot they can do. When the results of the national exams are out, UNEB enables anyone with a mobile phone to check for their results. By simply dialing an Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) code, anyone can instantly find out how they performed.
And if national exam results can easily be accessed through a mobile phone, what about the registration status of students? Using the same method, candidates and/or their guardians could easily check whether they have been registered or not well before the national exams commence. Those who haven’t been registered then can find an alternative like registering again or taking the teacher or school owner to police to recover their money well in time.
Another option for UNEB is to change the registration system and payment method. The school could provide UNEB with its list of candidates which they can put into a national database that is available online. A student or their guardian could then access the portal, get their student’s payment registration number and pay through the bank or mobile money. The school and guardian could then be notified via SMS or email of the completion of their registration. Reminders could be sent when examination dates have been confirmed. Students could also check their status anytime as they may wish.
If UNEB doesn’t want to go through this route, they can prepare emergency exams at sub counties. If students bring evidence of paying the school the UNEB fees and the teacher or school owner ate the money, then students can be allowed to sit for emergency exams and then penalize the school.
The Ministry of Education and Sports and/or the districts could withdraw the school’s license and permits until they have paid UNEB the amount due plus a hefty penalty. That way teachers and school owners would stop the thuggery of eating student’s examination fees while ensuring all candidates sit their national exams.
The writer is a communication and visibility consultant. djjuuko@gmail.com
