Parents in Luweero district have put pressure on head teachers of four schools to explain the circumstances under which results of the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) for 264 candidates were withheld.
Last week, the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) released results for the PLE 2024.
However, results for 264 candidates for four schools in Luweero district were withheld.
The affected candidates include 100 candidates for Rapha Primary School, 48 candidates for Zuhura Education Centre Nkondo, 54 candidates for Nalongo Islamic Primary School and 62 candidates for Bombo Parents Primary School.
According to the letter dated January 23, 2025 written by Dan Odongo the UNEB Executive Director addressed to Luweero Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), the exams were withheld because the schools are suspected to have engaged in exam malpractices.
“The purpose of this letter is to inform you that candidates in the schools listed will be required to appear before the Exam Security Committee for a hearing following principles of natural justice.
Please inform the affected schools/candidates to ensure that they comply with this notice. The date of hearing will be communicated in due course” the letter read in part.
However, the parents and candidates have been left in tears after learning that exams were withheld.
They have since put pressure on head teachers to explain the fate of their children and the circumstances under which malpractices were committed.
Malusy Nantanda, a parent at Nalongo Islamic Primary School said that when exams were released, she sent an SMS to check for the results of her child but received no reply.
Nantanda adds that at first, she thought that the results were withheld over nonpayment of fees only to learn on Wednesday that the matter is linked to malpractice.
She said that as the parent, she has never granted the school any permission nor supported the move to cheat examinations and wants the head teacher to explain his role in the matter.
Abdul Kirumira another parent of Nalongo Islamic Primary School said that they are confused about the UNEB’s letter because they were waiting for the results to pick admission letters from secondary school.
Kirumira said that they are disappointed and appealing for UNEB to release the results but hold the school authorities responsible rather than jeopardizing the education of innocent children.
A candidate who is also a daughter of Kirumira said she had been waiting for the results to enable her to join secondary school only to receive bad news that they were withheld on grounds that they were not aware of.
She appealed to UNEB to be lenient and release their results.
Badru Apuuli Kyamulesire the headteacher of Nalongo Islamic Primary School was unavailable at school on Wednesday when the reporter visited it. Apuuli also didn’t pick up our repeated calls.
Joseph Ssebudde the Director of Rapha Primary School also denied involvement in the malpractice and informed the parents that they are trying hard to ensure UNEB releases the exams.
Erastus Kibirango, the Luweero District Chairperson said that they are also waiting for the final report from UNEB after the Examination Security Council sits and interrogates the affected candidates on exam malpractices.
According to PLE results for Luweero, at least 1,756 candidates passed in Division One, 8,977 candidates passed in Division Two, 2,805 passed in Division Three and 1,250 candidates passed in Division Four.
The results indicate that 1,085 candidates failed whereas 289 didn’t sit the PLE out of 16,162 candidates that registered to do the examinations in Luweero.