Janet Museveni, the Minister of Education and Sports, has called upon head teachers and parents to actively engage in understanding the decentralized technical education admission process to better educate and guide learners.
Additionally, she urged candidates to obtain application forms from nearby TVET institutions as the Ministry has extended its services for those interested in joining these technical institutions.
“The Ministry has extended the selection process to accommodate UCE 2023 graduates who wish to apply to all technical institutions,” she emphasized.
These remarks were made by the Minister during the release of the 2023 Uganda Certificate of Education results at State House Nakasero in Kampala on Thursday.
Addressing the concerning trend of declining male enrollment, the Minister advocated for an investigation to understand the reasons behind this decline, particularly in completing primary and secondary education.
“A balanced education system, where both boys and girls successfully complete their respective levels, is crucial for the holistic health of society. We aim for equal opportunities for all children to strengthen the country,” she stressed.
According to the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), 364,469 candidates registered for the 2023 UCE examinations, conducted across 3,808 examination centers nationwide.
In his statement, Dan Odongo, the Executive Director of UNEB, highlighted that the 2023 examination performance showed significant improvement compared to 2022, with a 0.5% decrease in the failure rate.
Odongo further noted that 329,939 learners, constituting 95.9% of those who sat for the exams, are eligible to progress to post-UCE levels.
However, concerns were raised regarding the performance in science subjects, with less than 20% of candidates achieving credit pass levels in Physics and Chemistry, and 40% failing to pass.
The statement also addressed the reduction in cases of examination malpractice, attributing most reported cases to external assistance provided within exam rooms.
Professor Celestino Obua, the UNEB chairperson, confirmed the completion of sample papers for examinations under the new curriculum, with plans to upload them on school portals.
He reiterated that the 2023 UCE exams were the final ones administered under the old curriculum, and starting from 2024, UCE examinations will adhere to the new lower secondary curriculum.
Furthermore, Obua announced that hearings for suspected malpractice cases from the 2023 examinations will commence on February 19, beginning with PLE cases.
In the 2023 UCE examinations, 64,782 candidates passed in division one, 85,566 in division two, 83,545 in division three, 112,923 in division four, and 14,879 were ungraded.