The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has expressed concern over the slow judicial process in addressing cases of exam malpractice.
The board believes the slow process is hindering the proper enforcement of new laws aimed at tackling cheating in schools.
Despite introducing amended laws that impose hefty fines and long prison sentences on offenders, the slow resolution of malpractice cases is limiting their effectiveness in curbing the issue.
Dan Odongo, the Executive Director of UNEB, stressed the importance of resolving exam malpractice cases promptly.
He noted that many cases from the 2022 and 2023 national examination cycles remain unresolved, and this delay is preventing the law from having the intended impact.
Odongo made these remarks while speaking to journalists during a seminar for district, municipal, and city school inspectors, which was organised to prepare them for the upcoming national examinations starting in October.
According to UNEB, exam malpractice continues to pose a significant challenge to the integrity of the education system.
The newly introduced laws were expected to help address this problem by punishing offenders more severely, but the slow pace of judicial proceedings has been a stumbling block.
For reference, 21 cases of malpractice were filed from last year’s examination cycle, but most are still pending in court.
Odongo revealed that UNEB is now working closely with the judiciary to expedite the handling of exam malpractice cases, in the hope of making a bigger impact.
He stressed that quicker resolutions would not only help deter future cases of cheating but also restore trust in the national examination system.
Over the years, UNEB has repeatedly raised concerns about delayed court processes. At one point, they even advocated for the creation of a special court to handle exam malpractice cases exclusively.
Last year, Prof. Celestino Obua, the Chairperson of UNEB, argued that having a dedicated court for these cases would speed up the trial process and reduce the resources, both human and financial, required to manage them.
Frances Atima, a UNEB board member and Director of Education Standards at the Ministry of Education, acknowledged the challenges in resolving these cases quickly.
However, she pointed out that UNEB has made progress in plugging some of the leakages that lead to exam malpractice.
Atima explained that the most significant problem occurs during the distribution of exam papers from storage centres to schools, and at the school level itself.
She emphasised that prevention is key and said that UNEB is working to ensure that only trustworthy individuals are involved in the distribution and invigilation of examinations.
Odongo confirmed that many of the exam leakages reported last year happened during the distribution phase.
He revealed that some individuals entrusted with handling the exam papers, particularly for the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), have been tampering with the parcels, photographing the papers, and leaking them to schools.
One notable case in 2022 involved Mbayo Mamba, the headteacher of Namasuba Parents Primary School in Wakiso District, who was arrested for allegedly attempting to illegally open a sealed PLE parcel.
He was caught in Butambala District along with two accomplices, an examination distributor and the driver of the van hired by UNEB to transport the papers.
Several other teachers and headteachers in districts such as Kasanda and Kikuube were also arrested last year for sharing what appeared to be PLE papers via social media.
Odongo highlighted the irresponsibility of some of the individuals involved in distributing the exam papers, noting that UNEB has discovered that in many cases, the task was handed over to boda boda riders, leading to significant leaks.
To address this issue, UNEB plans to change its approach by only allowing senior local government officials, such as department heads and principal officers, to handle the distribution of exams moving forward.
Odongo believes that these individuals are in positions of higher responsibility and can be held more accountable than the junior staff or random individuals previously employed for the task.
However, through these processes and ensuring that those in charge of exam distribution are more accountable, UNEB hopes to significantly reduce instances of malpractice and protect the integrity of national exams in Uganda.
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