The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon Janet Kataaha Museveni, has directed Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) to set a special paper for 23 Primary Seven candidates of St. Christine Primary School in Kakumiro district who missed their exams recently.
UNEB has been investigating circumstances under which 23 out of 26 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) candidates missed writing the Mathematics Paper on November 8, 2022.
UNEB Executive Secretary, Dan Odongo, said a consultative meeting was held between the exam body and the Ministry of Education and Sports chaired by the First Lady.
“It was agreed that considering the exceptional circumstances under which the vulnerable candidates missed their examination, after fulfilling all the requirements, the board administers another mathematics paper to the affected candidates,” said Odongo in a Thursday statement.
“The District Inspector Of Schools Kakumiro is hereby asked to report to UNEB for details on the arrangements for the administration of an alternative mathematics paper.”
Odongo clarified that this is a special case but will not become a precedent in case something like this happens again.
“The board emphasizes that this is a one-off undertaking which SHALL NOT be treated as a precedent.”
Background
Before the fateful day, the pupils were studying at Christine Primary School which didn’t have a registration Number. The school (Christine) registered the pupils at Mpasana Primary School for their examinations.
On the day they were supposed to sit their papers, the director of St Christine Primary School, Pascal Asiimwe, promised to return with a van to chauffeur them to Mpasana Primary School but didn’t show up.
However, he did not return and switched off his known phone numbers.
The pupils decided to walk approximately 15 kilometres away, arriving at Mpasana Primary one hour and 16 minutes late.
They found that the Mathematics exam had already commenced. The examination invigilators turned them away for late coming.