TVET: 4,671 candidates miss exams

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | 4,671 candidates enrolled by the Uganda Business and Technical Examination Board (UBTEB) missed the April/May TVET exams.

According to UBTEB’s data, out of the 13,209 candidates registered across 262 examination centers for the final program exams, 8,538 sat for the exams, while 4,671 candidates were absent. The exams were designed to help address and resolve the backlog of candidates impacted by the staggered reopening of institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Onesmus Oyesigye, the Executive Secretary of UBTEB, noted that the students who were predominantly absent came from Uganda Technical Colleges.  Oyesigye further said that the board has subsequently uncovered that these colleges compelled the students to skip the assessment in order to facilitate the reorganization of their academic calendars.

Oyesigye made the remarks on Thursday afternoon during the release of the results of the examination at the President’s office in Kampala.

The announcement regarding the release of the results indicated that candidates who participated in the assessment displayed commendable performance. A total of 6,913 candidates (constituting 81 percent) effectively demonstrated full competence in their respective trades.

Notably, in this concluding program evaluation, female candidates surpassed their male peers, with 3,931 females successfully accomplishing the requirements compared to 2,982 male candidates.

Oyesigye acknowledged a positive outcome in the final examinations for physical and biological science diplomas, achieving a pass rate of 82 percent. Meanwhile, the pass rate for the remaining program areas stood at 70 percent.

Oyesigye further said that while the pass rates are showing improvement, certain exam papers remain problematic for candidates. Specifically, challenges persist in subjects like agriculture, textile, and mathematics-related papers.

He attributed the lack of success to insufficient syllabus coverage and a lack of exposure to industrial practices, particularly in subjects like textile science and application. Additionally, he highlighted a persistent bias in mathematics-related exams as a contributing factor.

UBTEB observed that despite implementing measures to prevent malpractice during the exams, a number of students still take risks and involve themselves in such activities.

Oyesigye added that more than 42 candidates have been identified as having committed various forms of malpractice. As a consequence, their results have been invalidated and canceled.

Recently, UBTEB introduced stringent regulations addressing cases of academic misconduct.

One noteworthy provision dictates that should a student be caught engaging in cheating, the results for the entire semester will be nullified. Additionally, if the same individual is implicated in malpractice for a third time, a permanent prohibition from registering for TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) examinations will be imposed.

The State Minister for Education, John Chrysostom Muyingo, urged UBTEB to re-evaluate the instances of malpractice. In cases where educational institutions and their principals are found to have been complicit, he recommended that the examination body take a decisive step of permanently revoking the status of the examination center at that particular institution.

Muyingo commended the increasing enrollment of students, particularly females, in TVET programs. The minister highlighted that this trend is expected to contribute to a decrease in unemployment rates within the country.

Addressing concerns about unreviewed curricular and the implementation of the TVET qualification framework, the minister assured that active measures are being undertaken. He also expressed confidence that these matters will soon be resolved, leading to the streamlining of the TVET system.

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