Over 4,500 O’Level Results Withheld by UNEB Over Malpractic
Over 4,500 students will not be able to access their 2017 UCE examination results after they were withheld by UNEB over examination malpractice. According to the examinations body, the results are withheld due to criminal and unprofessional acts by persons entrusted with management of examinations in the field.
This was revealed on Wednesday while UNEB released the 2017 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examination results. The results show a slight improvement in the performance compared to the previous year.
According to the UNEB Executive Secretary, Dan Odongo, a total of 81 persons were arrested by police for allegedly involving in examination malpractice. Fourth nine (49) of these suspects have so far been arraigned in court and charged.
The withholding of the said results follows a massive leakage of examination questions two weeks into the examination period last year.
What began as mere reports in the media, alleging that examinations were leaked on social media, would later be confirmed by UNEB.
A total of 62 schools spread across the country have had their results withheld some of them having as many as over 200 affected students.
Some of the schools with the highest cases of examination malpractice include Nile High School Kiyunga in Luuka district (257 students), Kajjansi Progressive in Wakiso (253), Nkuutu Memorial College in Iganga (252), St Peters S.S Bombo in Luweero (158) and St Benedict Tororo (143).
Nonetheless, Odongo said that UNEB put in place stringent measures to ensure that examiners detected cases of cheating during the marking process.
“The overwhelming form of malpractice experienced was assistance given to candidates by third parties. Other forms of malpractice such as collusion, smuggling of unauthorized materials into examination rooms were reported but less common,” Odongo said on Wednesday.
The highest cases of cheating were reported in Science subjects with Biology topping the list (39% of the total cases) followed by Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics.
Asked the magnitude to which the leak contributed to the cases of malpractice, Odongo said; “We did not observe anything out of the ordinary to indicate that the leaked information was used by candidates”.
“The effect did not show in the candidates. Some instances where it was clear that some candidates could have used the leaked materials, especially false information, it caused more confusion,” he added.
The UNEB Chairperson, Prof Mary Okwakol said that the affected students and schools with be accorded a hearing by the UNEB Examinations Security Committee and that those found to have been involved.
In her remarks, Minister of Education Janet Museveni said government would work with UNEB to address issues of examination security.