Last week’s release of the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) results has, once again, been treated as breaking news.
But let me ask: should it be? In a functioning system, a child sitting an exam should be as normal as a new day dawning. Yet here we are, whipping up national excitement and anxiety over the performance of minors mostly aged between 12 and 13 years.
We even fear some actually “failed.” But who in their right mind declares a 13-year-old a failure? So, it is time we confront the truth: our national examination system is broken. It prioritizes a single, high-stakes score over actual competency and it’s holding our children as well as our nation behind.
Take the example of the fact that of the top 100 performing schools in the country, only eight are from Kampala. Is this realistic? The answer is an overwhelming NO! These figures are put out to the public because the system isn’t working.
The real tragedy is our collective reluctance to change it. Why? Because powerful interests benefit from the status quo. If you’re doubting, just look around. You will realise that schools now market themselves as “first-grade factories” and gullible parents scramble to get their children in.
It is sad that we in the education sector have commodified education, yet seldom stop to ask about the elephant in the room; what are learners in these schools actually learning? Last year, I urged the Education Policy Review Commission (EPRC) to show courage and scrap national exams starting with PLE and Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE).
These exams have become a nuisance, causing so much unnecessary panic and trauma that Uneb deploys police officers to guard leaners sitting exams. This isn’t education, it’s a disaster.
I know some critics will worry that without national exams, how will we judge our children’s progress? The answer is already within our reach; education is all about continuous assessment.
A learner’s journey should be evaluated through what they consistently produce, not what they scribble under exam hall duress. Therefore, just imagine a more comprehensive, fairer system.
One where a student’s final grade reflects a blend of district assessments (25%), school-based continuous assessment (20%), projects and presentations (20%), character and participation (10%), patriotism and community engagement (5%), volunteering or apprenticeships (15%), and tech skills (5%).
This paints a fuller picture of a learner’s ability, values and readiness for the world. So, we should replace phased-out national exams with teacher-designed continuous assessments tailored to local needs.
Sincerely, is a student in Kaabong facing the same challenges and opportunities as one in Kampala? Our assessments should reflect that reality. To support this, Uneb must evolve. I have said this before and I repeat; let’s transform it into a Research, Evaluation, Assessment, and Development (READ) body.
Its new role would be to support District Evaluation Boards in creating frameworks that measure true learning gains. Each district would then have the authority to design curricula that serve its community’s specific needs.
This would also keep young learners in schools within their communities, ending the disruptive cross-country movement for primary education. This shift must be part of a broader move toward competence-based education at all levels.
While it’s encouraging to see this approach at O-level, a major gap remains and our universities are lagging. They continue to test 19th-century skills in a 21st-century world.
Take this simple but shocking fact; public universities spend over Shs 15 billion annually on paper and printing answer books, yet many of their graduates cannot type a basic report on a computer.
What employer today asks for a handwritten report? If exams were conducted on computers, students would graduate with a tangible, marketable skill. Beyond PLE, we must also challenge the rigid timelines of learning. Why must a bachelor’s degree take three fixed years?
If a learner can master a module in less time, why hold them back? True competence- based learning assesses capability, not calendar years. All in all, our children are more than a grade on a slip of paper.
Our education system should see that, nurture that and assess that. It’s time to stop the madness, scrap the archaic exam factory and build a system that truly prepares learners for life. The future is waiting and it doesn’t come with an invigilator escorted by policemen.
The author is Vice-Chancellor, Victoria University.
Prof.Lawrence Mugganga is one of a kind and we need more people like him,I honestly agree with him,the system has to evolve since the world has done the same,grading has led to a lot of cheating b’se schools want to make more money by getting a lot of learners hence producing half-baked graduates which in the long run affects the entire system but unfortunately tebamuwulira since those schools are owned by mafias in the government…He makes a perfect Min.of education and sports
Thanks for the article. I have to agree with you on your views. The real tragedy will happen when these aggregate 4 kids who are born with silver spoons in their mouths and have never faced challenges in their lives get in-charge of institutions in Uganda. The highly commercialized education sector is not allowing hardworking and resilient children from the country-side to wriggle through like it used to happen back in the day.
Dr Muganga, First off I read with contempt the arguments you put forward to discredit the system that nurtured you! sic. I must say you the opponents of our education system just maraud around without better systems to replace existing ones. Whats wrong with 19th century methods that work? Anyhow, you -MUGANGA attended first class universities in Canada, what did they base on to admit you? Basic information, US, Canada, London school of economics and indeed all foreign universities admit creme de la creme students from Uganda (and indeed the world), why do they base admissions on archaic senseless UNEB/University exams? I intend to believe you people are agents of Bazungu (all non-black countries, excluding Asia) to discredit our systems, coerce us to drop them and thereafter promote thier FAKE methods to fail us. Do you have a reason why O’levels shouldn’t study Accounts and Commerce, which are the foundations of Accounting profession? Relatedly why should you promote enterpreneureship as a subject at A’level and ditch commerce at O’level? Needless to say, these foundation subjects ease advanced studies; without them you spend alot more time on say ACCA. Why should students be forced to do chemistry physics and biology at O’level, only to fail? All this is in the new system you are promoting. Why not encourage them to do arts?
You people – I know there are countless of your type – need to put into context your policy options; considering feasibility of your arguments. Do we have systems here that can keep students academic records/assessments in schools or districts? Not everything you see in canada can work here.
Going back to technical skills, who told you everyone should be an engineer, or a medical doctor or nurse. God created us different, besides calling also differs, havent you seen a doctor on the pulpit or an agriculturalist doing journalism? Don’t have to give names but i know them.
Again on technical skills, for us economists, we already evaluated your arguments and discredited them! Revisit your 3rd yr economics!! My first time to see a computer was 1st yr at university, but am now one of the best statistical programers. Our system teaches from first principles, learn maths, logic, loops then apply them on a computer. That makes you better programmer than people from arts who only do word, sic! Or IT that install virus guards.
For your information, wherever our students go, they are the best (despite 19th century skills). Find out! Let me stop here for now: I will come back for more; dissecting individual paragraphs.
Reading this ……..Uneb deploys police officers to guard leaners sitting exams. This isn’t education, it’s a disaster.
I have quite long seen how scary PLE, UCE and UACE examinations are, it is war and has long called for armed officers to suppress our learners ambitions before inception.
Reading again this “One where a student’s final grade reflects a blend of district assessments (25%), school-based continuous assessment (20%), projects and presentations (20%), character and participation (10%), patriotism and community engagement (5%), volunteering or apprenticeships (15%), and tech skills (5%)” I am asking that Dr. Muganga, who is ever in the feeding hands of the Minister of Education, why do you cry in the media? This brilliant proposal none of us can faster disseminate to Hon Kataaha than you. Do us favor than crying before us!
Uganda’s examinations test knowledge instead of learners’ competency. Lower secondary and Advanced secondary curricula kickstarted operations with challenges and, policy makers in Education ministry might have no good plans for the future of Uganda’s education.