Leaders and education stakeholders in Nakaseke District have raised alarm over increasing examination malpractice, persistent teacher shortages, and low parental involvement, warning that the combined challenges are steadily eroding the quality and integrity of education in the district.
The concerns were voiced during a stakeholders’ meeting held at Nakaseke Technical Institute, where district officials and school administrators called for urgent, coordinated action to address systemic gaps affecting learning outcomes.
Nakaseke District Chairperson Ignatius Koomu Kiwanuka criticised some head teachers in government-aided schools for engaging in examination malpractice, sometimes in coordination with private schools that lack recognised examination centres.
He warned against attempts to justify such actions, saying government had already fulfilled its obligation to support the institutions.
“Government has done its part in supporting these schools, but some head teachers are engaging in malpractice. They should instead use school management committees to recruit private teachers,” Koomu said.
He stressed that education is a shared responsibility and urged parents to take a more active role in their children’s academic journey.
“Children belong to families. Parents must play their role and stop leaving everything to government,” he added.
Koomu further cautioned that the pressure to produce First Grade results in the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) is pushing some school administrators into unethical practices that ultimately harm learners.
“The desire for first grades is tempting some of you into stealing exams. This ruins learners’ futures and damages your integrity,” he said.
He cited Wansalangi Primary School in Wakyato Sub-county as a recent example, where results for 46 PLE candidates were withheld by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) over suspected malpractice, describing the incident as a wake-up call for the district.
District Inspector of Schools Ritah Nakitanda presented the district’s academic performance, noting that Nakaseke ranked 44th out of 176 districts nationwide.
Out of 6,021 candidates who sat PLE, 658 scored First Grade, 3,819 Second Grade, 921 Third Grade, and 384 Fourth Grade, while 139 candidates failed and 100 did not sit the examinations.
Nakitanda highlighted ongoing challenges affecting performance, including lack of meals for learners, inadequate scholastic materials, and limited teacher accommodation.
However, she commended the government and UNEB for expanding access to examination centres.
“The addition of 14 UNEB sitting centres, including Kayamba, Kagango, and Kituutu, has improved access for candidates,” she said.
Representing head teachers, David Mulinde pointed to a severe staffing gap in government schools, revealing that some institutions operate with as few as four to six teachers, which significantly affects the quality of instruction.
“This affects learning, forcing head teachers to hire private teachers paid by parents,” Mulinde explained.
He added that some parents, particularly in rural areas, are reluctant to contribute to school needs, with others assuming that government should fully meet all education costs.
Meanwhile, District Education Secretary Richard Mavuuma said new measures are being considered to curb examination malpractice, particularly among private schools.
He noted that authorities plan to restrict the movement of candidates to distant examination centres, a practice often linked to cheating.
“We plan to require private schools without UNEB sitting centres to use designated schools within their sub-counties instead of moving to distant areas where malpractice is easier,” Mavuuma said.