Secondary schools partnering with Government in the inaugural Universal Secondary Education program have been advised to admit student numbers that will not weigh down their facilities.
Assistant Commissioner for Comprehensive Secondary Education, Robinson Nsumba-Lyazi, says the large turn up of students for the first day of Universal Secondary Education (USE) had overwhelmed many schools. He says that while schools should be open to receiving as many students as possible, they should not stretch the limits of their ability to cater for the large numbers.
Lyazi says that students were flocking to schools which performed well in last year's national O-level examinations. He advises school administrators to refer students to less populated schools that are also participating in USE in order to properly utilize the available funds.
Lyazi says that for schools which cannot avoid the large numbers, the Ministry of Education may consider introducing study shifts, in which half the students attend class in the morning and the rest report to school in the afternoon.
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Lyazi says a number of schools are admitting students who scored only a division four pass in the Primary Leaving Examinations and are not eligible to join secondary school. He says this practice is unlawful and is denying students who passed the exams a place in the USE schools.
Schools in Kiboga, Mubende, Pallisa and Kyenjojo have been noted as admitting into the USE program students that failed the Primary Leaving Examinations.
Lyazi says that on March 14th, the Ministry of Education will conduct a head count of all USE students. He says students must present their PLE pass slips and passport size photographs before Government can release the USE funds to the partner schools.
