Education Minister Highlights Progress and Challenges in Uganda’s Education Sector, calls for Mpox SOPs

The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni, officially released the 2024 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results today, marking the end of a successful examination season. Speaking at the event, Hon.Janet Museveni addressed key developments, challenges, and opportunities in Uganda’s education sector.

A total of 797,444 candidates from 14,883 centers registered for the 2024 PLE, a notable increase from the 749,347 registered in 2023. Of these, 65.7% (524,025) were Universal Primary Education (UPE) beneficiaries, while 34.3% (273,419) attended non-UPE schools. 

She also praised the growing participation, attributing it to the Universal Education Policy, which has improved school attendance and reduced dropout rates to 1.3%, down from 1.8% in 2019.

The Minister commended the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) for adopting holistic assessment practices that emphasize practical application of knowledge and skills. She called for further teacher training to enhance understanding and implementation of these practices.

The education Minister however expressed concern over unethical practices, such as schools falsely registering normal learners under the “special needs” category to secure extra time during exams. She warned that such acts undermine the credibility of the education system and called for strict disciplinary measures.

She also applauded the Uganda Prisons Service for promoting education among inmates, noting that 71 candidates sat for the PLE at Luzira Prison and 37 at Mbarara Main Prison. She emphasized the transformative role of education in rehabilitation and character development.

Hon. Museveni urged parents and guardians to actively support their children’s education, stressing the importance of family involvement in reducing dropouts and ensuring continuity to secondary education. She encouraged students who performed below expectations to persevere, reminding them of the opportunity to repeat P.7 in UPE schools under the capitation grant.

Addressing public health concerns, the Minister advised schools to remain vigilant about the Mpox outbreak as the academic year begins. She urged adherence to Ministry of Health guidelines to safeguard learners and staff.

Finally, she announced that the Senior One Selection Exercise would take place on January 30-31, 2025, with the first term for Senior One beginning on February 17, 2025.