This situation arises from the failure of schools to submit continuous assessment and project scores to the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb). Under the revised curriculum, Uneb’s final examination accounts for 80 per cent of a student’s overall grade, while the remaining 20 per cent comes from continuous assessments and project work conducted at the school level.
Dan Odongo, the executive director of Uneb, emphasized that, according to the curriculum guidelines, no student can be graded or awarded a certificate unless their continuous assessment scores are submitted. He urged both parents and students to ensure that these scores are submitted to Uneb on time to avoid complications during grading.
Although Uneb has been encouraging schools to submit these scores, the board has declined to disclose the exact number of affected candidates. When asked, the officer in charge of this data declined to provide specifics, citing the “sensitive” nature of the information. She did, however, reveal that only 56 per cent of centres have submitted their scores so far.
With 4,752 centres in total, this means Uneb has received scores from approximately 2,653 centres, leaving about 2,096 that have yet to submit their data. This points to a significant number of candidates being at risk of not having their assessments graded.
The initial deadline for submitting continuous assessment scores was September 30, but Odongo announced an extension until October 30, giving schools more time to comply. He urged heads of examination centres to prioritize the submission of these scores to avoid disadvantaging their students.
“Heads of UCE centres must ensure that the project achievement and continuous assessment scores for UCE candidates of the new lower secondary curriculum are submitted to Uneb by the extended deadline of October 30, 2024,” Odongo stressed. “Candidates who do not have project work and continuous assessment scores in any subject will not be graded.”
In several interviews conducted by URN, it was found that many schools delayed submission due to Uneb’s failure to establish a timely system for managing the process. Schools, especially in central Uganda, have reported that they have not yet received training on how to properly capture and submit scores to Uneb.
Odongo acknowledged these concerns, noting that Uneb is in the process of completing the necessary training in affected areas. In the meantime, Uneb has provided schools with offline software, distributed on CDs, to facilitate the collection of continuous assessment scores, which can then be uploaded online.
Odongo further stressed that schools should not physically deliver coursework assessment marks by hand, post, or courier, as these methods will not be accepted.
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