Light Secondary School Bushenyi is among several schools whose teachers have been summoned to face the Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) Tribunal over alleged cheating in the recently released Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE).
Located near Nyabubare Sub County Headquarters along the Kizinda-Rutookye Road, the school has been posting relatively impressive results in Uneb exams at both O and A-levels but there had always been reports that the education institution’s performance was being augmented by forms of examination malpractice, especially among candidates considered to be brilliant.
But Uneb has now moved to expose the school’s antics, throwing the administrators into panic. The Pearl Times can confirm that Dan Odongo’s Uneb has summoned Laban Nimwesiga, the head teacher of Light Secondary School Nyabubare Bushenyi, as well as Bernards Asiimwe, the Director of Studies (DOS), for interrogation after they were reportedly caught red handed cheating for candidates.
Also in the hot seat for the examination malpractice are the chief invigilator and some invigilators who were sent to the school during the examination period. These are accused of conniving with Nimwesiga and Asiimwe to offer assistance to the candidates, something that flouts sections of the 2021 Uneb Act.
Reports indicate that the invigilators were allegedly bribed with Shs2m each to aid examination malpractice. The invigilators have since gone into hiding for fear of being thrown into Luzira Prison.
At least 53 candidates have been affected and are also set to be quizzed by no-nonsense Uneb Tribunal officials, particularly over their performance in Chemistry Paper 545/4 which they sat on October 25, 2022.
Reliable sources on the ground have intimated to this publication that in order to avoid embarrassment from the community where the school is located, administrators secretly transported the 53 candidates to Kabwohe (in Sheema District) early Sunday morning. It is here that the candidates have boarded a bus to Kampala where they will face the Uneb Tribunal on Monday, March 13, 2023.
This publication has also learnt that ahead of Monday’s interrogation, the school bosses were in last-minute frantic efforts to try and save face, with nearly Shs60m reportedly earmarked to cover up the case. In recent days, sources further claimed, the school head teacher was frequenting Kampala to try and convince Uneb to drop the case. But unfortunately for him, he has failed to meet any tribunal member willing to cooperate given the assessment body’s zero tolerance to corruption policy.
According to Section 26 of the 2021 Uneb Act, which explains examination malpractice, “a person who— (a) without lawful authority, before or during an examination, gives an examination paper, information or examination material or any other material or equipment to a candidate or to any other person; (b) with intent to fail or pass a candidate, alters the work, data, information, score or marks of a candidate; (c) without lawful authority, makes a change in the original answer script of a candidate; (d) substitutes the original answer script of a candidate; (e) alters the examination number, photograph or other identification of a candidate; (f) without lawful authority, alters the records of the Examinations Board with regard to an examination or examination results of a particular candidate; or (g) while engaged as a supervisor, invigilator, scout, monitor or special needs education support personnel negligently allows or fails to stop unauthorised assistance from being given to a candidate, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding one thousand currency points or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years, or both.”
If convicted of engaging in examination malpractice, the heads of such schools could be fined, jailed or handed both punishments.
In the worst scenario, Uneb could suspend the registration of such schools as examination centres.
“The Examinations Board may stop a school or facility registered as an examination center from conducting examinations for a period determined by the Examinations Board where— (a) management of the school or facility acts contrary to the provisions of this Act or in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of examinations either before, during or after an examination…” reads section 40 of the 2021 Uneb Act in part.
You can see the lists of Uganda’s best UCE schools and top performing A-level schools in 2022 HERE and THERE.
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