NIRA, UNEB roll out mass registration, issuance of NINs to all secondary school learners

Exam body, UNEB has together with the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) launched a nationwide exercise in which they will register all learners in secondary schools.

“The purpose of this exercise is to collect continuous assessment scores with effect from term one of the year 2023. This is in accordance with the revised lower secondary school curriculum,” said Dr. Peter P. Wakabi- Waiswa, the UNEB director for technology and reprographics.

Dr.Wakabi told journalists at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala that all secondary schools are required to register with UNEB to be able to submit the continuous assessment of the scores of their learners.

According to officials, the registration by NIRA will ensure each learner is issued with a National Identification Number(NIN) that will be used during the continuous assessment exercise during the UCE and UACE exams.

“One of the major components of the revised curriculum is continuous assessment and every subject has a component of continuous assessment without which a learner shall not be graded in that subject at the end of the cycle.”

Dr.Wakabi said UNEB is required to uniquely identify learners in the process of continuous assessment through national ID numbers(NINs) whereas secondary schools which will not have registered for continuous assessment will not be allowed to register learners for end of cycle(UACE) exams.

NIRA kicks off exercise

The UNEB director said the exercise has kicked off and will run for the next two weeks of holiday for all learners countrywide until January, 31.

The NIRA Executive Director, Rosemary Kisembo said they will prioritise registering and issuing of NINs to learners all over the country and to this end, she said they have set up registration desks at Boma grounds across major districts and cities in the country.

“Section 5 of the Registration of Persons Act mandates us to register all citizens of Uganda and students or learners are part of the citizens of this country,”Kisembo said.

The NIRA ED emphasized the need for every citizen to acquire a NIN for various purposes.

“Even past your education, it is the unique number that will follow you right to your grave. It is a unique number to be used by your employers, education, health, travel and cuts across all sectors of your life. Students should use this opportunity during this holiday to register and obtained NINs.”

Kisembo said those who participated in the 2017/18 learners registration don’t need to register again but ought to check for the status of their applications by checking the NIRA website.

Process

The NIRA Executive Director explained that in order to successfully register, secondary school learners must present the NINs for their parents.

“Let us take an example that your parents are deceased, you will need to present a NIN for your grandparent is they are still alive or any child born of your grandparents or your brothers in case they have a NIN. This is because the constitution of Uganda grants citizens basing on your parents or your grandparents. A child of your grandparents or your parents can identify you,”Kisembo said.

The learners will also be required to present a dully filled NIRA enrollment or registration form three filled on behalf of the leaner by either the parent, guardian or teacher is the leaner is below 18 whereas the learner should be present to ensure their biometrics including face and fingerprints are captured as well as the parent or guardian's original copy of the national ID.

She noted that the exercise is free of charge whereas candidate classes are not affected by this exercise.

The UNEB director for technology and reprographics said whereas registration at NIRA ends by January,31, UNEB will gather data for  leaners when the term opens.