#UACE UPDATES – PLE Examination Ends As UACE 2023 Begins
Integrity and security in the management of examinations is a joint responsibility
The two days of conducting the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) ended successfully yesterday, after the candidates wrote their English paper in the afternoon. Overall, we had a smooth exercise in most parts of the country without any major challenges. In places where the weather was bad, the Board worked with the District Authorities to facilitate alternative and shorter distribution routes, and in some cases authorized new venues to act as sitting centers, so as to mitigate the effects of the rain. This ensured that all the centres, received their examination papers in good time. We congratulate the candidates upon the successful completion of PLE.
No Leakage reported
We would like to confirm to the public that there was NO LEAKAGE of any of the PLE examination papers. No candidates therefore acquired prior knowledge of any of the papers before the official time of the start of the examination.
The Board is grateful to members of the public who, acted as whistle blowers and diligently reported intended cases of malpractice which were quickly intercepted by both the UNEB security team and police. We also got to know of a number of attempts by Head teachers and school Directors to bribe UNEB scouts and invigilators for purposes of permitting external assistance to the candidates.
Many of the UNEB field personnel refused the bribes, and consequently guarded against external assistance at their examination centres, thus upholding the value of integrity and security of examinations. We highly commend them.
In Kyebando, the Police arrested the Director and Head Teacher of His Grace Primary School, Mr. Baka David. Together with the Chief Invigilator, Mr. Kakuru Gerald, and a scout, Mr. Lwanga Brian, the trio cut a security examination envelope containing Science papers, that had been delivered at around 8:00 am for that particular examination Centre.
It is alleged that the Director/ Head teacher of the school bribed the invigilators and a scout who were compromised and accepted to cut the examination envelop. It appears the intention was to share online, and also provide external assistance to the candidates.
The UNEB Security team, together with Police were tipped off and arrived at the scene of crime before any photographs of the paper could be taken. Nine invigilators were also arrested along with the trio, for being negligent, and allowing an attempted malpractice to take place under their watch. The team of twelve are all in police custody, and will be produced in court as soon as the files are ready.
Else where, over ten scouts and invigilators were arrested in different parts of the country for attempting to provide external assistance to the candidates. One such a case was in Nabweru, where a scout posted to Lyn Primary school was found writing answers on the black board, for candidates. He was arrested, and will appear in court on charges of aiding and abetting malpractice in form of external assistance.
In Kajansi, near Kampala, the police detained a scout for impersonating a staff of UNEB and attempting to get money by false pretense, from one of the authorities at a school in Lubowa.
In Fortportal and Kabarole, our scouts have reported that there were concerted efforts to try and provide external assistance to candidates in most of the schools. Some of the efforts were foiled and the attempted malpractice intercepted. Investigations into some of the reported cases are under way.
Ushering in the 2023 UACE Examination
Today, the UACE Examination officially begins with the briefing of candidates on guidelines and regulations for the conduct of the examination. 110, 563 candidates registered for the examination and will write their papers from 2,283 centers. Head teachers are urged to seriously consider the briefing exercise and endeavor to personally brief the candidates.
