Education stakeholders in Kabale district are advocating for the implementation of uniform national examinations for lower-level learners, urging the government, particularly the Ministry of Health and Education, to establish a framework for this purpose.
At present, lower-level learners solely undertake the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) at the primary seven level, a crucial assessment for their transition to secondary education.
However, stakeholders argue that assessing learners’ academic abilities at a national level before primary seven would be more beneficial.
This call to action stems from an analysis conducted by UWEZO in August 2021 across 29 districts in Uganda, including Kabale. UWEZO, translating to ‘capability’ in Kiswahili, is a citizen-driven initiative aimed at enhancing children’s literacy and numeracy outcomes in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
The survey conducted in Kabale revealed concerning statistics, with 10 percent of primary seven learners unable to read and comprehend a text from primary two, and only 5 percent of primary three learners capable of performing tasks at the primary two level.
The assessment, conducted by UWEZO in collaboration with Let Us Save Uganda Development Initiative (LUSUDI), involved 416 learners aged between 4-16 from three hundred households. Nationally, UWEZO assessed 15,033 children across selected districts.
Godfrey Beinomugisha, Chairperson of Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) for Kabale Municipality, and Amos Musiimenta, UNATU Kabale district Chairperson, emphasize that the current system, where learners only face national exams at primary seven, promotes rote learning due to the heavy academic workload from primary one onwards.
Simon Byamukama, Executive Director of Let Us Save Uganda Development Initiative (LUSUDI), a grassroots organization advocating for quality education, supports the idea, highlighting that exposure to uniform national exams in lower classes instills confidence and dedication in learners during PLE.
However, Moses Bwengye Tumwijukye, Kabale District Education Officer, holds a contrary view, deeming the proposal impractical. Bwengye argues that learners already undergo regular assessments through term exams and yearly promotional exams until primary seven, where they sit for PLE.
