Faridah Namusisi, the headteacher of Nairambi Seed School, said all registered candidates had reported and sat their examinations, unlike in previous years.
Heavy rains and strong winds disrupted transport on the Buvuma Islands on Monday, delaying teachers and candidates travelling to examination centres as Senior Four (S4) examinations began.
The downpour, which started in the early hours, affected movement between the islands, forcing some candidates to travel by boat, motorcycle and bicycle, while others walked long distances to reach their schools.
Among those affected was Mark Musobozi, the headteacher of Bwema Seed School in Bwema Sub-county, who struggled to deliver examination papers to his school because of the bad weather.
Musobozi, who was found at Buvuma Police Station collecting the papers, said he had to travel by motorcycle to a landing site before boarding a boat across the lake to Bwema.
With the Mathematics examination scheduled to start at 9:00am, he said the journey risked delaying his arrival by 15 to 30 minutes.
However, Robinah Nakakande, the headteacher of Buvuma College and the district examinations coordinator, said candidates at Bwema Seed School were given the full examination time despite the delays.
Nakakande also raised concern about candidates withdrawn from boarding schools by their parents who now had to travel long distances from home to examination centres. She said the morning rains further complicated their journeys.
The development comes amid remarks by Local Government Minister Balaam Barugahara, who has been touring different districts and urging parents not to pay fees in government schools.
At Buvuma College, candidates arrived on bicycles and Bajaj motorcycles, while others walked to the school.
All candidates report for exams
Faridah Namusisi, the headteacher of Nairambi Seed School, said all registered candidates had reported and sat their examinations, unlike in previous years.
Buvuma College hosted 77 candidates, while 105 sat their papers at Nairambi Seed School.
Four schools hosted S4 candidates on the islands: three government institutions — Buvuma College, Nairambi Seed School and Bwema Seed School — and one privately owned school.
Buvuma District Woman MP Judith Naggujja commended the government for supporting education in the district.
She said candidates previously had to travel to the mainland to sit their examinations, but in recent years they have been able to take their papers at schools within Buvuma.
Candidates cite school challenges
Some candidates who spoke to Kyaggwe TV said they were prepared for the examinations but expressed concern about shortages of teachers, computers and textbooks, which they said had affected their learning.
They noted that the new curriculum requires extensive research, making access to computers and learning materials particularly important.
Others said their parents could not afford school lunch fees, leaving them hungry during the school day.
“Last week, we had a student who blacked out at school. Upon reaching Buvuma Health Centre IV, the medical officer told us it was as a result of ulcers, which are linked to staying on an empty stomach for long hours,” Nakakande said.
“Now, during the examination period, we do not know those students who are not on the school feeding programme. What are they going to eat?” she asked.
School administrators and candidates called for improved learning conditions, including more teachers, adequate learning materials and better access to school meals.
