A week after the release of 2016 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results, YUDAYA NANGONZI and ALI TWAHA took time to study the results in comparison to 2015 and found that some schools continue to thrive regardless.
A comparison of the recently -released 2016 UCE results and those of 2015 shows that a few schools have maintained and others improved in division one performance.
The Observer compared the number of students passing in first division attained by each school across the country and the total number of candidates it had in a particular year.
The table published today puts St Mary’s SS Kitende on top for maintaining its division one performance though it had only three candidates passing with aggregate 8 in 8, this year.
For instance, Kitende had 431 candidates in 2015 of which 430 passed in division one, leaving one candidate in division two. In the 2016 results, the school has 433 candidates and at least 430 passed in division one. Only three passed in division two.
It is followed by Uganda Martyrs SS Namungongo with 260 first grades out of 266 candidates in 2016 results compared to 197 first grades and 203 candidates in 2015.
King’s College Budo with 266 candidates also improved in performance in 2016 with 241 students in division one, compared to the 220 it had in 2015 out of 242 candidates.
Despite taking a 12th position in ranking by division one, Ntare School also maintained the same number of first grades in both years at 190. The tables exclude results of 1,893 candidates from 86 examination centres whose results were withheld to allow completion of investigations and accord the suspected persons a fair hearing.
Speaking at the release of UCE results last week, the Uneb executive secretary, Dan Odongo, said candidates who passed in division one were able to demonstrate high levels of knowledge and skills in the subjects they took.
In 2016, at least 316,624 sat for the examinations compared to 306,507 in 2015. Uneb statistics indicate that of these, 2,349 (7.5 per cent) passed in division one, a lesser figure than 25,750 (8.5 per cent) in 2015.
Odongo attributed the drop in performance to the candidates’ failure to comprehend the English language, mathematics and the sciences. On a low note, out of the 3,231 schools appearing today, 1,130 schools have no candidates with first grades despite having big class sizes.
For instance, Mbale-based Nakaloke SS had 296 candidates but none passed in division one in 2016. Its best candidate passed in division three with aggregate 37. Kitgum Vision College, with 350 candidates, registered no first grade last year after it had only one candidate in division one with 19 candidates in 2015.
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