By Aggrey Twesigye
The Mbarara District Education Department has registered four cases of students who missed sitting for their final Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations.
According to district records, the affected candidates include two girls and two boys from three schools. Bukiro Seed Secondary School with two students, while St. Charles Lwanga Secondary School, and Rutooma Secondary School each recorded one student.
Deo Muhwezi, the Mbarara District Senior Education Officer, said one of the students from St. Charles Lwanga Secondary School has been battling a persistent mental health condition, while two others reportedly shifted to other areas. The fourth student dropped out of school.
Muhwezi cautioned head teachers against preventing candidates from sitting their exams over school fees arrears, warning that any teacher found doing so risks prosecution.
Abraham Manigye, the District Councilor for Bubaare Sub-county and Secretary of the Education Committee, noted that the number of absentees had reduced from 10 last year to 4 this year, attributing the improvement to joint political and technical efforts.
He, however, expressed concern over the reduction of funds from the central government, citing delays in the release of the UGX 10 million rehabilitation fund and cuts in the School Facilities Grant (SFG).
A total of 2,084 candidates from 28 schools are sitting for this year’s UCE examinations in Mbarara District, the majority of whom are enrolled in 19 private schools, while 9 are government-aided institutions.
