The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Amuru, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The fate of eight senior four students at Kati Kati Secondary School, a private school in Amuru District hangs in the balance after the school failed to register them for the forthcoming Uganda Certificate of Education Examination (UCE).
The students learnt of their dilemma last week after the school administration allegedly told them their registration fee had been swindled by one of the school staff, just one week before the examination.
Parents of the affected students alleged they had completed all payments to the school including extra charges demanded for delays to register the students with the Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB).
Sunday Okwera, one of the parents of the students noted that he paid a total of 380,000 shillings to the school director Ting Traa who had demanded the amount for the registration of his child.
He said the same student failed to sit for his UCE examination in 2023 from the school after paying also 320,000 shillings only to be told the payments were made after the UNEB registration deadline.
According to Okwera, the school’s action has affected the emotional being of his child who will now miss sitting for the UCE examination for the second time and urged the district authorities to intervene. Okwera says he is unsure his child will again repeat Senior four as the examination for the old curriculum phases out this year.
Walter Odong, another parent says he was charged 350,000 Shillings as examination fees by the school director who told him UNEB had increased the registration fees. He said he paid 150,000 in May and later paid 200,000 shillings last month but only learnt a week ago that the registration of his son and other students hadn’t been done.
“When paid 150,000 shillings, the director told me UNEB had increased late payment by 50 percent. He later changed and told me the payment had been doubled up to 100,000 shillings and demanded 200,000 shillings,” he said.
UNEB however charges 164,000 Shillings for the registration of students sitting for UCE and late payment can be charged 50 percent or even 100 percent of the total charges.
During a meeting convened at the school on Friday, some of the parents who attended also revealed that the school administration had issued UCE result slips for past students who sat at the school between 2021 and 2023. The school officials however didn’t attend the meeting called by the Amuru district authorities following complaints raised by the parents.
Amuru District LCV Chairperson said the action of the school director in sabotaging the future of the young people can’t be ignored adding that necessary steps are being taken to ensure the victims get justice.
The School Director Ting Traa however denied the allegations against him and instead blamed the school director of studies for messing up the student’s registration fees.
“I don’t handle payment at school, I’m only in charge of administration. I also only got to learn recently about the students’ registration woes which we are investigating,” said Traa.
Christopher Ocan, the Inspector of schools in Amuru district says investigation into the operation of the school.
On Monday the police arrested Traa following complaints raised by district officials but has since been released on bond pending statement taking of the complainants. He is scheduled to report to the Police on Monday next week.
This year’s UCE examination for students sitting the new lower secondary curriculum is set to start on Monday.
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