Boys have performed better than their female counterparts in last year’s Uganda Certificate of Education exams.
While releasing the 2018 UCE results in Kampala on Thursday, Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) chairperson Mary Okwakol said out of the 335,435 candidates who sat for the exams in 2018, 27,696 students passed in division one, 52,706 in division two, 70,347 in the third division while 137,058 were graded in the fourth division. Those who failed are 42,334.
Uneb Secretary Daniel Odongo said although male students performed better than their female counterparts, the females performed better in English compared to their counterparts.
Overall, Odongo noted that there was an improvement in English, Physics and Islamic Religious Education. However Maths and Biology have also shown some improvements at distinction level.
Despite the fact that there was an improvement in English, Okwakol noted that students still have a problem of skills of speech writing.
Last year’s registered students marked an increase of 3.3 per cent from 326,212 in the previous year. However, only 330,721 appeared for the examinations in 3,332 examination centers.
According to Okwakol this year’s withheld results reduced from 4,525 in 2017 to 1,825 in 2018. She said 90 per cent of the withheld results were sciences especially practicals, before urging schools whose results have been withheld to petition as it was done the previous year. Then, of 4,525 exams withheld in 2017, 1,977 results were cleared and released.
Odongo noted that this year, candidature increased by 9,223 (3.3 per cent) from 326, 212 in 2017 to 335, 435. Of these 152,278 (45.4 per cent) were Universal Secondary Education beneficiaries. 358 candidates where disabled.
Chemistry was the worst done subject but Odongo blamed limited science apparatuses.
“In sciences, candidates still have a problem in handling the apparatuses during the practical tests as well as making and recording observations and drawing conclusions,” added Odong
Education and Sports minister Janet Kataha Museveni who presided over the function, urged parents to support their children via education.
“It is most frustrating that people are spreading lies on social media about the grading of candidates, we cannot allow selective grading,” she said, noting that poor teaching methods and lack of practical skills in teaching Sciences is now a cited reason for poor performance.
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