Janet Museveni: No Registered Candidate Should Miss Exams
By Fred Kiva and Max Patrick Ocaido
First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Kataaha Museveni has ordered an investigation into cases of candidates missing final exams over unpaid school fees balances.
At least fifteen Senior Six students of Iganga Top Care, a private secondary school in Iganga Municipality in Iganga District were on Monday blocked by the school administrators from writing their Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education [UACE] examinations over un cleared fees balances.
Reports indicated that some of the students were being demanded Sh50, 000 only.
Intervention by the district authorities did not yield as the school bosses stood their ground. The education Minister says she has received the report. She described the act as illegal and against the government policy.
Mrs Museveni maintains that no school should for whatever reason prevent any UNEB registered student from doing exams.
“No school administrator is allowed to stop any UNEB registered candidate from sitting his/her final exams because of unpaid school fees balances. Exam results however of the candidate can be withheld by the school administrators until he/she has cleared all outstanding fees,” She said on her official social media account.
“I have accordingly instructed the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Sports and the Executive Secretary Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) to investigate this matter and take the necessary action,” she added.
Meanwhile her junior, State Minister for Education Charles Bakkabulindi told Parliament on Wednesday that the Ministry would summon UNEB officials to explain the Iganga incident.
“I know it is a good practice that parents must pay school fees, but it is improper for the candidates to be denied to sit for their final exams. I am going to summon officials from UNEB to explain why these schools denied students to sit their exams,” Bakkabulindi said in response to Gulu Municipality legislator Lyandro Komakech, who had demanded an explanation from the Ministry on the examination saga.
Uganda National Examinations Board has over the years warned schools against blocking any registered candidates from writing exams, especially those with school fees balances.
Some schools authorities have however always done the contrary. Other cases were reported of some Senior Four candidates missing exams on similar grounds.
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