The release of the 2024 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) results has sparked fierce debate among schools and parents, raising more questions than answers about candidates’ performance.
Traditionally, schools have built their reputations on the number of candidates achieving top scores, such as Aggregate Four and Division One, which were seen as benchmarks of academic excellence. This year, however, the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) has shifted its focus, unveiling a deeper analysis of learning abilities, subject difficulties, and gaps in teaching methods.
During the release of the results at State House Nakasero, Uneb executive director Dan Odongo presented a departure from the usual ranking of aggregate and division scores. Instead, the results emphasized candidates’ proficiency levels—how well they demonstrated an understanding of the questions to achieve their final marks.
“We have been assessing candidates’ proficiency levels internally but keeping the findings to ourselves. This time, I felt the need to give some meaning to the grades publicly,” Odongo explained.
“I know the results will not go down well with some schools, but we want teachers to stop this mentality of drilling candidates to pass examinations.”
Odongo expressed concern that many teachers focus narrowly on examination preparation rather than fostering a holistic understanding of subjects. He emphasized that education should equip pupils with skills they can apply in real-world situations.
“We should ensure that a child who leaves school can apply the knowledge they learned to solve problems. Children who have gone to school should not go back to their villages and look like the villagers themselves. Even after completing primary seven and spending a year out of school, they should demonstrate better reasoning and the ability to apply knowledge and skills,” he said.
This year, 797,444 candidates from 14,883 schools registered for PLE, compared to 749,347 in 2023. Among them, 524,025 (65.7 percent) candidates from 11,451 schools were beneficiaries of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program, while 273,419 (34.3 percent) candidates from 3,432 schools were enrolled in private schools.
For the third consecutive year, more girls registered for the PLE than boys, with girls accounting for 418,750 (52.5 percent) of candidates compared to boys at 378,709 (47.5 percent). Meanwhile, absenteeism reached its lowest level in five years, with 10,463 candidates failing to sit for their exams in 2024.
This marked a decline from 12,323 absentee candidates in 2023, 20,844 in 2022, 12,820 in 2020, and 12,502 in 2019. Uneb’s new approach, which highlights proficiency rather than rankings, signals a call for schools to rethink their teaching methodologies. By emphasizing comprehension and practical application, the board aims to shift the focus from rote learning and exam drilling to fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills among learners.
However, the transition is likely to provoke resistance from schools accustomed to using top grades as a marketing tool, prompting a broader debate on how education in Uganda should evolve to meet 21st-century demands.
PROFICIENCY LEVELS
According to Uneb executive director Dan Odongo, the 2024 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) results were analyzed using item response analysis to evaluate candidates’ mastery of knowledge and skills in the four subjects: Mathematics, English, Integrated Science, and Social Studies.
“The majority of candidates scored between aggregate 11 and 30. The much-desired Aggregate Four had very few candidates,” Odongo revealed.
Aggregate Four is the highest score, while the lowest is 36, corresponding to an F9 in all subjects. The proficiency analysis revealed that less than 20 percent of the candidates exhibited higher ability in any subject. Higher-ability candidates could recall facts, demonstrate understanding, and apply those facts or concepts to solve problems or tackle new situations.
The majority of candidates fell into the medium-ability category. While these students could recall facts, they struggled to apply the knowledge in unfamiliar scenarios. Lower-ability candidates, who formed the smallest portion, could recall facts but demonstrated limited understanding of their significance or application.
Odongo noted slight variations in performance across subjects. About 17 percent of candidates demonstrated higher ability in Mathematics and English, compared to roughly 14 percent in Integrated Science and Social Studies. Two-thirds of candidates exhibited medium ability in Mathematics, English, and Social Studies, while approximately three in five showed medium ability in Integrated Science.
The percentage of candidates in the lower-ability category was highest in Integrated Science (24 percent) and English (17.2 percent). Overall, candidates performed better in Social Studies, Integrated Science, and Mathematics, with a notable drop in English. Distinction scores declined across all subjects, reflecting challenges with questions requiring higher-order thinking and application skills.
SUBJECT-SPECIFIC CHALLENGES
Odongo highlighted several areas where candidates struggled, particularly with questions designed to test advanced knowledge and practical application. In Mathematics, even the highest-scoring candidates were challenged by word problems involving time, distance, and speed, interpreting Venn diagrams, constructing geometric shapes, and measuring angles.
In English, candidates struggled to write well-structured compositions and to draw inferences from passages where answers were not directly stated. In Integrated Science, candidates failed to describe how to create an electromagnet using a set of materials, a practical competence skill that is often taught theoretically or overlooked altogether.
They also struggled to name types of germs that cause diseases and explain the dangers these germs pose to overcrowded communities facing disease outbreaks. In Social Studies, candidates had difficulty explaining how human activities influence climate, describing the services provided by voluntary organizations like The AIDS Support Organisation (TASO), and identifying factors necessary to start an income- generating activity.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The First Lady and minister of Education, Janet Museveni, commended Uneb for publicly sharing insights into candidates’ mastery of knowledge and skills. She noted that this shift provides a deeper understanding of the aggregates and grades typically used to measure academic success.
“This will help us make more meaning out of the aggregates and grades that we have been seeing our learners attain. Measuring mastery of knowledge and skills provides a better appreciation of the extent to which learners gain in-depth knowledge, apply it, and analyze information to solve familiar and unfamiliar problems,” she said.
She urged Uneb to offer additional training and guidance to teachers to help them better understand the assessment criteria. Such efforts, she emphasized, could enable teachers to tailor their approaches to provide targeted support for learners struggling in specific areas.
GENERAL PERFORMANCE
The 2024 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) results revealed a mixed performance, with 84,301 candidates achieving Division One, fewer than in previous years. However, most candidates, 397,589, passed in Division Two, followed by 165,284 in Division Three and 75,556 in Division Four.
A total of 64,251 candidates failed the examinations in 2024, making them ineligible for Senior One admission. This marks a significant improvement compared to the 88,269 candidates who failed in 2023. Overall, the 2024 performance surpassed that of 2023, with 91.8 percent of candidates passing compared to 88.0 percent the previous year.
Male candidates performed better than females and recorded a lower failure rate. However, more girls were present in Division Two and the lower divisions due to a higher number of female candidates registering and sitting for the exams.
For learners with special needs, 3,328 candidates registered for the examinations, and only 48 were absent. Among them, 181 passed in Division One, 1,713 in Division Two, 627 in Division Three, and 371 in Division Four, while 388 were ungraded. Notably, deaf candidates showed significant improvement in performance compared to the past two years.
Education minister Janet Museveni encouraged candidates who failed to persevere and consider retaking PLE. “As I stated last year, learners repeating P7 in UPE schools remain eligible to benefit from the capitation grant. However, for parents considering a career in technical education for their children, I urge you to motivate them to complete at least O-level. Do not limit your child’s aspirations to merely completing P7,” she advised.
DISTRICT PERFORMANCE
For the first time, all 136 districts that participated in the PLE had at least one candidate obtaining Division One a milestone compared to previous years. However, Kaabong and Madi Okollo districts had no female candidates in the first division.
Outstanding districts included Bushenyi, Kisoro, Ntungamo, Mbarara Main, Rukungiri, Kabale, Kasese, and Mukono municipalities, which performed exceptionally well.
Uneb has advised the ministry of Education to investigate and provide support to districts that have consistently recorded high numbers of ungraded candidates. These districts include Alebtong, Bulambuli, Butebo, Dokolo, Kitgum, Madi Okollo and Manafwa. The selection exercise for Senior One placement is scheduled for Thursday and Friday this week, with the first term for Senior One set to commence on February 17, 2025.
Why does Uganda belong to the heartles migrant family & not to Ugandans whose tribal lands form the zone?
39 years but Ugandans behave as if they have a country well governed with the ruler they longed for, so Museveni wife can just dictate & laugh at miserable Ugandans!
Ugandans, as long as you are powerless tribally divided ruled without a National Leader for Common Goal/destiny, Museveni & his wife will spit on you for life & leave the post to his son & wife!