The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | State Minister for Primary Education Rosemary Sseninde has opposed the planned administration of Primary Leaving Examinations to teachers. Sseninde says the exercise is unacceptable, illegal and is likely to demoralize teachers.
Recently Nakaseke district resolved to administer Primary Leaving Examinations to teachers as a way of establishing whether they understand what they teach and are competent enough to help their learners to pass the exams. The district council also approved a budget of five million Shillings to reprint copies of PLE that will be administered to teachers in August this year.
According to the communication from the district, all teachers who fail the exams will be deemed unfit to teach and will face the District Service Commission to justify why they should retain their jobs.
But Sseninde says that political leadership has no mandate to compel teachers who were recruited by competent District Service Commission to sit any examinations.
Sseninde told URN that the exams cast doubt on the District Service Commission which recruited the teachers after establishing that they were competent enough to teach learners and guide them to pass. Sseninde adds that the exercise is in bad faith and it’s not acceptable.
“If all teachers fail exams by bad luck, are we going to close all schools in Nakaseke so that we send back for learning?” Sseninde questioned.
She says she is yet to get formal complaint from Nakaseke teachers but will investigate the matter and take action.
However Uganda Radio Network has obtained a letter dated April 11, 2018 addressed to Minister of Education and Sports Janet Museveni by Uganda National Teachers Union asking her to stop the exercise and compel the LCV Chairman Ignatius Koomu to apologize to teachers for dishonoring the teaching profession.
According to a letter written by Filbert Baguma the General Secretary of UNATU, the body warns the minister that failure to do so they will mobilize all teachers in Nakaseke to withdraw labor without further notice.
UNATU insists that performance of pupils is not solely in hands of teachers but parents, government and community which must fulfill its role if quality education is to be achieved.
Teachers in Nakaseke led by Emmanuel Kizza, the Chairperson Uganda National Teachers Union Nakaseke branch have welcomed the comments of Minister Sseninde and asked her to act fast because many are already demoralized whereas others in fear of losing jobs if they fail the exams.
Teachers asked district put energies in addressing factors that affect performance of teachers which include lack of accommodation, inadequate classrooms, poor pay and absenteeism of learners among others.
URN couldn’t reach Ignatius Koomu the LC V Chairman of Nakaseke for comment on petition by UNATU and Minister Sseninde but earlier on he was quoted saying district council is supreme body of the district and has mandate to oversee the performance of teachers.
Koomu added that the exams will help them to identify teachers who are lazy, weak, incompetent, possess fake academic documents and take appropriate action to save the education standards in the district.
The district also directed head teachers to ensure that not more than 10 percent of their candidates fail PLE or else they will be demoted to classroom teachers. At least seven teachers were demoted to classroom teachers this year for registering 20 percent failure in last year’s PLE.
Only 364 candidates out of the 4538 candidates who registered for PLE in Nakaseke passed in division one, 2226 division two, 852 division three and 657 division four. About 284 pupils failed the exams while 155 didn’t turn up for the exams.
