UACE exams: Number of withheld results greatly reduces

There has been a great reduction in the number of results withheld by Uganda National Examinations Board in the UACE exams released on Wednesday.

A total of 101, 269 candidates registered for the Senior six exams from 2076 centres.

According to the UNEB chairperson Prof.Mary Okwakol, results for only 79 candidates from 24 centres were withheld in the 2017 UACE examinations.

"Following the challenges experienced the first set of examinations, the board took deliberate steps to increase the level of security at all storage facilities, "Prof. Okwakol said.

In the senior four exams, results for 4525 students were withheld by the examinations body but the number has reduced greatly in the senior six exams,which according to UNEB officials is a commendable job.

Recently, there were concerns that generated a heated debate on the decision by the examinations body to punish parents and students through withholding their exams.

The UNEB chairperson however that the criticisms will not deter the body from performing it's mandate and responsibility as provided for by law.

She said that UNEB is responsible for safeguarding the quality of education in the country and among the ways they can perform this is through withholding results for candidates suspected to have engaged in exam malpractice.

"Allowing malpractice in examinations will eventually lead to low quality of the products of our education system to the disadvantage of the nation and the consequences are dire. "

She added: "We shall have incompetent teachers in charge of the education of our children; doctors whose patients die on operation tables;judicial officers who cannot dispense justice and engineers responsible for collapsing exams."

Okwakol noted that that cannot be allowed to go on. A number of people including MPs recently accused UNEB of neglecting it's duty of safeguarding the exams to avoid leaking but the body's chairperson said the duty is for everyone to ensure security for exams.