The Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB) has raised concern over the rising cost of examining students as the body struggles to meet the Standard Operating Procedures(SOPs) put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The concern was raised by the board’s executive secretary, Onesmus Oyesigye during the flagging off of hundreds of officials who are going to supervise the delayed November/December examinations.
On top of the money payable by students, Oyesigye said the board receives about Shs 13 billion annually from the government.
"While the other side they are social distancing, here it results into a cost. We have to employ more staff to ensure that we surprise these students,"he said.
UBTEB is mandated to streamline, regulate, coordinate and conduct credible national examinations and award certificates and diplomas in the Business, Technical, Vocational and specialised education and training in the country.
The board works in close collaboration with the heads of training institutions in issuing the registration circulars for the respective examinations series May/June and November/December in accordance with the stipulated curricula of each academic programmes.
Accordingly, the circular stipulates the registration dates, guidelines and registration fees to be paid by each candidate in each category of the programmes.
The board will be releasing the examinations results on 18th March 2021 officiated by Janet Kataha Museveni, Minister of Education and Sports.
The board said that the registration of candidates for Year 2 national certificate students of the differed November/December 2020 examinations has ended and examinations shall commence today March 15 2021 and end on March 25 2021.
A total of 30,069 candidates are expected to sit at 460 examinations centres.
According to the officials,the board has deployed a total of 443 reconnoitres, over 2,000 supervisors and 1,500 practical examiners for these examinations.
