UACE 2024: More Students Excelling in STEM, But Humanities Still Dominate

Uneb chairperson Celestine Obua noted that while the overall performance in STEM subjects continues to improve, there is still a need for deliberate efforts to increase female participation in science-related disciplines.  

The number of students offering Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects is on the rise, but female candidates still lean more toward Humanities, according to Professor Celestino Obua, the chairperson of the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB).

Speaking at the release of the 2024 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) results are State HouseEntebbe on Friday, March 14, Prof Obua noted that while the overall performance in STEM subjects continues to improve, there is still a need for deliberate efforts to increase female participation in science-related disciplines.

“The upward trend in the number of candidates offering STEM subjects is encouraging," he said.

"However, the majority of female candidates still opt for Humanities. Without downplaying the importance of these subjects, we must recognize that technological progress depends heavily on a strong foundation in sciences."

To address this gap, Obua highlighted ongoing initiatives aimed at strengthening science education at lower levels, which will, in turn, expand the pool of students qualifying for STEM courses at tertiary institutions.

"Deliberate efforts must be made to increase the number of students from which tertiary institutions can select for science-based programs," he said.

"This is being done by improving the adequacy of science teaching-learning materials in many of our schools."

Despite the challenge of lower female enrollment in STEM,  Obua commended female candidates for their consistent academic excellence.

"Female candidates have maintained the trend of performing better than their male counterparts in terms of percentages at all levels and have shown a lower failure rate,” Obua said.

However, he pointed out that their dominance remains strongest in Humanities, where they continue to outperform boys at the subject level.

Regarding the overall performance, Obua noted that while pass rates have dropped, this should be viewed in the context of a major increase in candidature, with over 30,000 more students sitting for UACE in 2024 compared to the previous year.

“Such large increases in candidate numbers have a tendency to impact the statistics. However, what is evident is that we have more students qualifying for placement in post-UACE institutions. The real question now is whether the system will be able to absorb them,” he noted.

Prof Obua encouraged girls to take advantage of the expanding opportunities in STEM fields and called for more targeted efforts to support their participation in science-related disciplines.