On the first day of the Uganda Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) 2024, 4,618 candidates in Gulu City took part in the exams.
Gulu City has 72 examination centers serving 81 schools, according to Richard Irwenyo, the city’s principal education officer. Of these, 41 are public schools, while 40 are private.
Following preparatory briefings held two days prior, most schools were set up and ready by 7am on Wednesday, November 6.
Geoffrey Amanyire, Primary Seven class teacher at Hilder Nursery and Primary School, noted, “We have prepared our learners to handle all the subjects.”
Since the end of civil unrest in Northern Uganda, there has been a growing commitment among young people to pursue education.
Michelle Aluku, a candidate from Hilder Nursery and Primary School, expressed her determination to achieve a first-grade result.
"We have been preparing by reading and discussing with our teachers,” she shared. She is one of 33 hopeful pupils at her school.
However, Proscovia Aber, assistant inspector of schools in Gulu City, remains concerned about the relatively low number of pupils sitting for the PLE.
“We appeal to parents to support their children to complete their education,” she urged.
Factors contributing to the low numbers include high poverty levels, widespread teenage pregnancies, and parental illiteracy.
Nationwide, about 798,763 candidates are sitting the PLE this year, according to the Uganda National Examinations Board.
After Mathematics and Social Science/Religious Education on Wednesday, candidates complete PLE tomorrow writing Integrated Science in the morning and English in the afternoon.
