Mbale City, Uganda — The start of the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations across the country has coincided with an ongoing strike by secondary school teachers, but Nkoma Secondary School in Mbale City remains unaffected, school officials say.
According to Ramathan Ntege, the Deputy Headteacher in charge of Academics, the school has continued normal operations thanks to a robust teaching staff supported by the Parents Teachers Association (PTA).
“At Nkoma SS, we have not felt the industrial action. We have 167 teachers, of whom 86 are privately recruited under the PTA,” Ntege said.
He added that even teachers of humanities who had initially joined the strike have since resumed work, ensuring that all candidates are adequately supported as the national examinations commence.
This year, 998 candidates are sitting for the UCE exams at Nkoma Secondary School, which has been divided into two centres—Main and Annex—to accommodate the large number of students.
Ntege said the school management has maintained open communication with staff and parents to ensure a stable learning environment despite the nationwide industrial action.