The Minister for Education, Janet Kataaha Museveni has said her ministry is going to take action on the school management for stopping students from sitting for their UACE exams over fees balances.
There were tears at Iganda Top Care Secondary School in Iganga Municipality on Monday when 15 senior six candidates were stopped from sitting for the UACE exams over uncleared fees balances.
In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Museveni said she had received reports about the unfortunate incident but noted something is going to be done because it is against the government policy.
“I have received reports of students who missed writing their final UNEB exams on account of their schools' refusal to allow them to sit exams because of school fees balances. This is against the standing government policy. No school administrator is allowed to stop any UNEB registered candidate from sitting his/her final exams because of unpaid school fees balances,” the Education Minister said in the statement.
She said the remedy would have been for the school to wait for results to return and are withheld until the students pay the outstanding fees but not stopping them from doing their final exams.
“I have accordingly instructed the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education & Sports and the Executive Secretary UNEB to investigate this matter and take the necessary action” Mrs.Museveni said.
As other senior six candidates around the country begun their final UACE exams on Monday, the 15 students were not allowed to set foot in the examination room for defaulting on fees payment.
Despite pleas from the students, their parents and eventually area leaders including the Resident District Commissioner, Eva Kwesiga, the school refused to relent and let the students sit the examinations.
“But why have they done this to us? Why have they made our studies a waste? It was very unfair,” Huzeifah Buluma wondered as he broke into tears.
As the students broke into wails at a wasted year and possibly ruined future, angry Ugandans took to social media and through phone calls to express their displeasure.
A number of the social media commentators blamed the school management for the inhumane treatment they had done to the 15 student yet they could have been allowed to sit for the final exams and wait for them to pick the results and they demand for the money.
However, other commentators supported the school saying being a private owned one, the money was so much needed to pay for teachers.
On Tuesday, the Indian community in Uganda announced it had paid the school fees due for all the 15 students.
“We have already paid the money. The money has been sent to the school. We have paid for 16 students,”Sanjiv Patel, the Indian Association spokesperson told the Nile Post on Tuesday afternoon.
“It is everybody’s responsibility to see no Ugandan loses his or her opportunity when it is not his or her fault. If the parents have made a mistake, it should not be the child to suffer.”