UNEB Warns Schools Registering Normal Pupils as Special Needs Candidates

The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) Chairperson, Prof Celestino Obua, says the 2024 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results show that the 2024 Special Needs Education (SNE) candidates have also done well, especially the category of the deaf candidates who had appeared most disadvantaged in the previous years.

He made the remarks Thursday, January 23, 2025 during the release of PLE examination results at State House, Nakasero in Kampala. Special Needs Education is a programme that helps children with special needs access education and participate in their community.

“In 2023, 44 per cent of candidates in this category were ungraded. This time the proportion is 23 percent, a big improvement,” said Prof Obua.’

“7.9% of candidates scored Distinction, 75.6% scored Credit, and 91.9% scored Pass. 47.9% of the SNE candidates were female, while 52.1% were male.”

The number of learners with Special Needs (SNE) registered for the 2024 PLE increased to 3,328, compared to 2,652 in 2023. This represents an increase of 25.5%.

The board attributes this increase to growing awareness about SNE inclusion in schools, driven by efforts from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) and the Ministry of Education and Sports.

Schools warned

UNEB Executive Director, Dan Odongo, noted a worrying development in a few schools that are registering perfectly normal pupils to be recognised as special needs candidates.

“They are hiding under the category of “others”- pupils that suffer from health conditions such as asthma, epilepsy and sickle cell anaemia. The Board recognises that such candidates may get attacks during the exam period,” said Odongo.

He added: “However, those candidates do not require any specialised assistance, except extra time of 45 minutes allowed to them. The errant schools have been found to select their good pupils to benefit from the extra time.”

Malpractice

Prof Obua said UNEB continues to battle with the malady of examination malpractice, the magnitude of which is worse at the PLE level, perhaps, due to the very many stakeholders involved, each with varied interests.

“The major form encountered this year has been teachers found inside examination rooms actually writing answers for the candidates to copy. As such, many arrests have been made and convictions secured,” he said.