Uneb clears air on fate of pregnant candidates, increasing of registration fees & name changes

Assessment body Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) has warned school authorities against hiking registration fees and blocking pregnant candidates from registering for PLE, UCE and UACE examinations.

Speaking at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala on October 22, Uneb executive secretary Dan Odongo clarified that the board had not increased registration fees.

REGISTRATION FEES

Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) candidates will pay Shs34,000 each, while their Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) counterparts Shs164,000; and Shs186,000 for those sitting examinations for the Uganda Advance Certificate of Education (UACE).

“Any additional charges that the school would like to make for administrative purposes should be clearly explained to the parents and must not in any way, be referred to as UNEB fees/registration,” said Odongo.

“We strongly urge head teachers not to inflate the registration fees, claiming they are Uneb/Registration fees.”

The registration process will happen for the next five weeks.

“We would like to emphasize that there will be no room for late registration, and therefore urge schools to ensure that all the candidates register within the given period,” warned Odongo.

PREGNANT CANDIDATES

In line with President Yoweri Tibuhaburwa Museveni’s directive, Uneb reiterated that pregnant girls will be allowed to sit their final examinations.

For decades, school authorities expelled girls who got pregnant, while boys responsible for the same pregnancies kept studying.

Odongo said the examinations body “recognizes that the lockdown due to Covid19 has been a very tough period, especially for the girl child.”

Uneb has also “received reports that a number of them became pregnant during this season.”

The body further noted that blocking pregnant girls from sitting exams would “derail the gains of gender inclusiveness attained so far in reducing the disparity between girls and boys registering for their final examinations, and finishing a given academic cycle.”

“While we do not condone teenage pregnancy, we recognize that most of these girls are victims of circumstances, holding unintended pregnancies. Most of them are traumatized and denying them the opportunity to sit their final examinations would be double jeopardy,” noted the executive secretary.

“Therefore, as guided by the ministry of education and sports, Uneb is calling on schools to register the pregnant girls to enable them to sit for their final examinations.”

NAME CHANGES

According to Odongo, Uneb was “we strongly urge head teachers not to inflate the registration fees, claiming they are UNEB/Registration fees.”

“Uneb’s position is that name changes can only be effected on the certificates if the candidate submitted the name at the time of registration, prior to taking an examination,” he noted.

“As such, candidates are advised to undergo a legal name change process, submit their legal documents to Uneb, upon which a code permitting the candidate to register with the new name will be issued to the candidate.”