Senior Six candidates have been advised to observe examination instructions to the dot, well aware that they are entering a decisive phase for their future with no room for breaking any rules lest they dent their lifelong destiny.
“You have been breaking school rules with impunity; we have been asking you not to carry mobile phones in certain circumstances and you have been continually defying the directive, but you must be aware that if you defy UNEB regulations, you may be inflicting irreparable damage to your future”, the candidates were cautioned.
This parental advice was on Friday made by the headteacher for Mukono Parents High School located at Bajjo cell in Goma division, Mukono Municipality, Alice Namuyanja during a final briefing to the 75 candidates ahead of beginning their 2024 UACE examinations on Monday November 11, 2024.
Namuyanja also advised that overlooking seemingly minor issues like making slight alterations in their names may have deep implications like cancellation of their results, saying, “If you did not correct errors in your names at ‘O’ level, write your examinations under the names appearing on your cards.”
She told the candidates that it is in their interest to report any colleague engaged in questionable conduct during examinations because she argued, malpractices detected may lead to withholding results of the entire UNEB centre.
She also advised them to avoid crafty people who may volunteer to give them last minute tips on questions allegedly likely to appear, known as ‘bullets’, and instead rely on material imparted to them by their teachers in the course of their study.
The Deputy headteacher, Simon Wabbi cautioned them against sensationalism, tension and undue excitement. Wabbi told the candidates to treat national examinations simply as a way of taking stock of what they have gone through in previous years.
He however advised them to respect the examinations as a phase of determining courses they will offer at university level; to predict professions they will take later in life.
As a means of managing their examination time properly, Wabbi advised the candidates to equally divide the time allocated for any paper among the questions, and to avoid making rash decisions without understanding and internalizing questions.
The headteacher for Bethel High School, Dorris Twongyeirwe advised the candidates to enter the examinations room with the power of confidence saying, “We have all gone through whatever we are telling you and since we are the people who imparted to you the knowledge you are going to use, kindly believe our words.”
Twongyeirwe urged them to turn their attention away from what she termed as social media gossip and put their trust in God under whose power they have managed to get to this level.
The Director of Studies Ismail Nandala told the candidates that management is proud of those who have been disciplined all through, and those who have changed and got on the course of becoming mature, reliable and God-fearing citizens of this country.
Nandala observed that examinations are not an end in themselves but simply a means of assessing how prepared they are to embark on the next level of their academic career, and advised them to present themselves to the invigilators for thorough checking.
In an interview, the out-going head prefect Robert Abigaba confirmed that they have been adequately empowered and are prepared for whatever will be set before them by the examining authorities.
Abigaba singled out group discussion forums they have been holding as a crucial input enabling them to share best practices for taking on the examinations.
The female students’ representative Levin Amou who offered Mathematics, Economics and Geography, said that during vacations, she is going to look for a job exposing her to acquisition of technical skills so that she begins on the profession of her choice well in time.
Among the activities which are entailed in briefing, the deputy headteacher Wabbi made roll calls to ascertain whether all the candidates registered at their centre were present, issued out their school identity cards, examination time tables to each of the candidates and later the UNEB sample answer sheets.
The speakers stressed to the candidates on the issue of the answer sheets to always make sure that they write their full names and sign to each and every page, avoid folding and tearing away any page. Namuyanja the headteacher advised them to immediately alert the invigilator in case of any anomaly.
