KAMPALA – On Monday, over 100,000 students started writing their Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board (UBTEB) November/December 2023 examination series across the country at 624 examination centres.
According to Mr. Onesmus Oyesigye – Board Executive Secretary, a total of 102,132 candidates were regiatered for this particular series compared to July-August’s 64,387 candidates, the highest number of candidates registered since the covid-19 lockdown.
“Of these candidates, 34,822 are female and 67,310 are male. This is positive growth in the number of candidates enrolled in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Uganda. The girl child numbers have continued to show a positive trend,” he told the press on Friday.
In a bid to ensure the smooth conduct of the examinations, a team of UBTEB spent Tuesday, in Mukono to ascertain if the institutions were operating as instructed.
Kambaho Narasi Anyijuka, Principle Communications Public Relations at UBTEB told the press that they were impressed by the institutions for observing the regulations as far as examinations are concerned.
“Today we are here to see how examinations are conducted. I’m glad that we found students here undertaking their exams. We found out that our rules are observed, students’ spacing is good, use of safety gears for practicals has been done very well and we want to commend the team,” he said while inspecting Vision for Africa Christian College – Mukono.
He noted that they haven’t had any challenges apart from a few centres in Hoima that were a little disrupted by rain on Monday.
This time, Mr. Kambaho said that because they have been registering a number of examination malpractice cases, they asked Heads of Centres to form Examinations Task forces at the institutional level responsible for ensuring examinations are done in compliance with UBTEB rules and standards.
Ms. Nabuuma Mary, Principal, Vision for Africa Christian College noted that their exams started very well and their students are very set.
“We received the exams and materials on time and so far we haven’t faced any challenges because our students were well prepared. They have all the skills and all it takes.”
She revealed that they registered 440 students and so far no one has missed.
According to her, examination malpractices normally happen when students are not well equipped with skills and knowledge but “here, our students are well prepared, our workshops are well equipped and our teachers are always on the ground.”
Ms. Nabuuma commended UBTEB for its modular system because it equips them with knowledge and skills and students become very competitive in the job world.
“For our UBTEB courses, our students can upgrade as high as they can. This is a progressive learning where one can start from a certificate to a PhD.”
Accordingly, normally they are challenged with not having enough materials but “this time around we had them on time, both that we were supposed to get as a school and by UBTEB.”
Ms. Nalwanga Alexar – a student doing a National Certificate in Automotive Engineering at Vision for Africa Christian College revealed that even when she was convinced by her mother to join an advanced level of education, she declined for the course of her dream after being inspired by her brother who is in the same career.
“My mother had pushed me to an advanced level so I could continue to the university but I didn’t want to because this is what I wanted.”
Although she finds the course a bit challenging because of its energy consumption, Alexar is very determined “because, if you want something you have to give it all it takes.”
She encouraged fellow girls to change the mindset that this is a job for only men.
Mr. Lutaaya Jovan also doing automotive mechanics in his first year, second-semester eyes becoming self-employed and a great engineer in future. He, however, decried expensive materials that they use in their studies..
