By Insight Post Uganda
Kampala.
A significant development, three teachers from Midland High School in Luwero have been arrested for unauthorized possession of Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examination papers.
The incident, while leading to arrests, has raised concerns about the vulnerabilities in the examination system overseen by the Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB).
The suspects, including a chief invigilator identified as Dalton Denis Lubega, were apprehended after they were found to be electronically sharing Commerce and Entrepreneurship papers.
The scandal has exposed several weaknesses in the examination process, with calls for reforms and greater vigilance.
According to Jennifer Kalule, the UNEB spokesperson, Lubega, while serving as a chief invigilator, distributed examination papers to candidates and photographed one of the papers.
He then shared the image electronically with Zawadi Bwambale, a deputy teacher at Midland High School, Luwero Campus.
The image was further transmitted to Herbert Woopo, the Director of Studies at Midland High School, Buntaba, Mukono Campus. These actions violated the security and integrity of the examination process.
Kalule also noted that the police are currently pursuing additional suspects who remain at large but are believed to have been involved in the electronic sharing of exam materials.
Legal Consequences
The arrested individuals will face multiple charges, including unauthorized possession of examination materials, aiding and abetting malpractice, and appearing in the examination room with electronic gadgets intended to disrupt the examination process. They will be prosecuted under sections 25 and 30 of the UNEB Act 2021.
In a related development, another individual, Tom Okwenyi, is detained in connection to the electronic sharing of counterfeit Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) papers.
Okwenyi allegedly created a social media platform called ‘Elite SST Senior Examiners’ and shared counterfeit papers with over 1,500 members of the group, code-named ‘Fertilizers.’
Kalule urged parents and teachers to abstain from participating in these illegal social media platforms or any activities that aid and abet malpractice.
She warned against paying any money claimed to be UNEB facilitation, emphasising that such actions jeopardize the futures of children.
The Uganda National Examination Board is closely monitoring online media platforms for any individuals distributing purported UNEB examination papers.
They have urged the public not to share or forward any content claiming to be UNEB examinations and to report such incidents to the police or the UNEB toll-free line at 0800-111-427.
The incident comes as the 2023 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) are set to commence, raising concerns about the security and integrity of the examination process.
The arrests and subsequent investigations highlight the urgent need to address weaknesses in the system to ensure the fair and transparent conduct of national examinations.
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