By Robert Segawa
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has revealed that a total of 17 pregnant Senior Four students across the country have been allowed to sit for their final Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations.
According to UNEB spokesperson Jennifer Kalule Musamba, the exams, which began in the middle of this month, have so far proceeded smoothly despite a few isolated incidents. She noted that two candidates, one from Millennium High School in Koboko and another from Mayuge District in the Eastern Region, gave birth during the course of their examinations.
Kalule explained that while UNEB strongly condemns teenage pregnancies, the board ensures that such candidates are not denied their right to education. “Pregnant candidates are given an extra 45 minutes to complete their exams,” she said.
However, Kalule also reported cases where some candidates had to write their exams under police supervision after being caught disobeying supervisors behavior that the board categorizes as misconduct and malpractice.
“Some of these students found the exams difficult, became unruly, made noise, and even attempted to tear their exam papers,” she added.
One of the students from Koboko, who gave birth while sitting for her Chemistry Paper 2 exam, developed complications after delivery. UNEB arranged for her to sit for an alternative Chemistry Paper 3 last Friday to ensure she completes her examinations.
Kalule further noted that since the exams began, the overall process has been smooth, with no major incidents reported.
In the same briefing held at the Police Headquarters in Naguru, Kalule announced that UNEB has deployed 150 district monitors ahead of the forthcoming Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE). Additional scouts and invigilators are scheduled to be briefed over the weekend.
A total of 817,930 candidates are expected to sit for this year’s PLE, starting with a national briefing this Friday.
