The Uganda national examinations board, UNEB has today announced commencement of the 2016 primary leaving examinations, with a briefing session set for this afternoon.
PLE 2016 starts throughout the country tomorrow 2nd November 2016, and according to Dan Odongo, the UNEB Executive Secretary, and a total of 640,860 candidates have been registered to take the examination from 12,391 cetres grouped under 8,081 sitting centres.
329,349 of the total are female while 311,511 are male pupils meaning that more girls have been registered for this examination than boys.
Mr. Odongo told the media that distribution of the examination materials is proceedings smoothly and is being done using 22 routes. Officers from the Field Force Unit of the Uganda Police are providing security on all the routes to ensure that the materials are safe.
“The board has instituted measures to escort question papers from storage stations to sitting centres. District officials handling the examination management must ensure that this is done” Odongo said.
He explains that monitoring of the examination will involve a total of 114 district monitors, 9,216 scouts deployed from districts and from UNEB headquarters; as well as an unspecified number of security personnel who will operate overtly and covertly, to ensure the examination is conducted in accordance with the regulations on conduct of examinations. “It is the intention of UNEB that all candidates be given equal opportunities to demonstrate their levels of ability without anyone having an unfair advantage over the other.”
He also warned of serious punishments against any schools that might attempt to cheat the examination.
“We wish to warn all schools that no further teaching at night or at any other time is permitted after the briefing of candidate. Schools that will be found involved will face severe sanctions.”
