By Peter Ssebulime
Kampala: Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) Executive Secretary Dan Odong has warned schools against acts of malpractice in the Uganda Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), scheduled to start next week on 4th and end on 5th of November.
During a press conference held at UNEB offices in Ntinda today, Odong said they deployed security operatives who will pay much attention to certain examination centers where the public has reported plans to cheat, and appealed to teachers not to endanger the results of their candidates by attempting to commit this criminal activity.
Odongo cautioned teachers, scouts and invigilators against unseriousness and unprofessionalism by aiding candidates in cheating examinations.
He said that “Monitoring of examinations will involve over 10,000 scouts deployed from UNEB headquarters and the district level, plus officers from police and other security sister agencies, to ensure that the examinations are conducted in accordance with regulations.”
He added that “Whereas last year we introduced the use of Examination Management Information System numbers instead of the school names, this year candidates will use actual random numbers alongside with their personal numbers and these will be different for each of the four subjects and will be given to the candidates at the start of each paper.”
He also noted that “Lunch should be provided to candidates within their sitting centres and no candidate must be taken outside the compound of the sitting centres for the same.”
A total number of 695,793 candidates registered to sit for this year’s Primary Leaving Examinations, at 13,475 centers, of which 336,029 are male, 359,764 are female, 1,259 are of special needs and 62 are inmates at Luzira prisons.
Meanwhile, the deputy police spokesperson Polly Namaye on behalf of security organs, assured UNEB of their readiness to provide adequate security during the examination period to avoid malpractices.
