For years, Kampala’s elite schools, often referred to as “distinction factories” have been synonymous with academic excellence, churning out top distinctions and first grades in national examinations.
However, in recent years, a worrying trend has emerged: a steady decline in top grades, leaving schools and parents baffled and frustrated.
This year’s examination results have sparked controversy, with the tally sheet recording only 82-four aggregates from schools in Kampala and Wakiso.
Many of the city-based schools are now accusing the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) of intentionally downgrading their candidates.
The schools claim that UNEB applies a different marking scale for urban and rural schools, alleging that their students’ results have been unfairly impacted by this perceived discrepancy.
In response, some schools have opted to request remarking services, hoping to challenge what they perceive as unjust results.
However, UNEB has firmly denied these allegations, maintaining that its marking system is both impartial and standardized nationwide.
In an interview with Uganda Radio Network-URN, Rose Nabukenya Mukasa, UNEB’s Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) Manager, explained that exam scripts are marked anonymously, with random numbers assigned to each paper to eliminate any potential bias.
She further emphasized that quality assurance measures are in place to ensure consistency and accuracy throughout the process.
“These top city schools have numerous examiners involved in the marking process. No one can claim we use multiple marking guides-there is only one standardized guide. These days, it’s impossible to tell which candidate, school, or region a paper comes from,” Mukasa clarified.
She added that for those who remain dissatisfied, UNEB has a standard procedure for rechecking results.
Schools, or parents acting through schools, can request a recheck to verify the total marks and ensure there were no errors during data entry.
Available information shows that UNEB offers rechecking within the first two weeks after the results are released, while the scripts are still at the marking centers, making them easier to track.
Rechecking papers applies to Primary Living Examinations and Uganda Certificate of Education, and no remarking is done, meaning the content of the answers is not reassessed.
However, URN confirmed that remarking is only available for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education, and it involves statutory costs that must be covered by the candidate.
The tension between city schools and UNEB is far from a new issue. In 2018, UNEB made adjustments to its marking and quality assurance mechanisms, which led to a noticeable shift in performance trends.
Up-country schools began to outperform their urban counterparts, prompting a wave of complaints from city schools.
Back in 2019, then-Primary Education Minister Rosemary Sseninde dismissed these allegations, saying, “You reap what you sow! These schools are just giving excuses because if someone has invested a lot in you in the form of fees and there’s no tangible result, there is no excuse you can give apart from saying UNEB messed me up.”
In 2020, similar complaints resurfaced, with the frustration growing as time passed.
This year, the discontent has spilt over to parents, many of whom have taken to social media to express their anger.
Some have echoed the schools’ accusations, alleging that UNEB is biased and calling for greater accountability from the examination body.
Amid the controversy, some educators are calling for a broader perspective on education. Anthony Kato Sentongo, headteacher of Global Junior School Mukono, believes that improving exam results isn’t just about aiming for high grades-it’s about transforming the teaching and learning process.
He emphasizes that schools need to adapt to modern approaches, moving away from traditional rote learning and adopting a competency-based approach.
“In the past, teachers used to tell us exactly what to answer if asked a question. But teaching has changed. Now, it has to be competence-based,” said Sentongo.
Reflecting on the nearly two decades Global Junior school has been in operation, he stressed that education should be about more than just grades.
“When you are teaching, you must make sure that what you are teaching is immediately impacting the students. You don’t have to wait for the examination to see the results. The exam is just the final product of what you’ve already built.”
For him, marks are simply a statistical summary. “The experiences a child goes through are bigger than these assessments we’re getting. We embed assessments into the teaching process; they are just one small piece of a child’s broader learning experience,” Ssentongo explained.
Sentongo also highlighted the importance of interpreting the curriculum correctly.
“This curriculum is for all of us, but we interpret it differently. Teachers often feel pressure to deliver results, and sometimes that leads to overloading children. We must understand the curriculum in a way that benefits the child, not just our desire for better results.”
Sylvia Okite, the Resident Director of Pherry Junior School Mukono pointed to the importance of reviewing UNEB’s reports and comments on candidates’ work, which have consistently emphasized reasoning.
“In the past, teachers often asked knowledge-based questions, where students could simply repeat what they had been taught. But UNEB’s current focus is on students’ ability to think, analyze, and support their answers,” Okite explained.
Without adapting to this evolving approach, Okite warned, even so-called elite schools will continue to struggle with their grades.
“The trend UNEB is following is clear: children need to think, analyze, and justify their answers. If schools don’t adapt, they will be left behind,” she concluded.
Anne Nafula, the Deputy Headteacher in charge of Academics at Cornerstone Junior School-Mukono, echoed these sentiments, urging schools to adopt more child-centred teaching methods.
“Instead of complaining about results, schools should focus on enabling children to stand before their peers, explain a concept, and share what they’ve learned. This builds confidence and mastery,” she said.
Nafula also stressed the importance of focusing on competencies outlined in the curriculum.
“Sometimes teachers don’t fully follow the curriculum, which can hinder learning. We must also be mindful during evaluation, ensuring we assess students’ ability to think critically.”
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