By Aggrey Baba
In every household, the joy of seeing children grow and thrive is a shared celebration. Likewise, the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has brought smiles to many families today, Thursday, January 23, as it officially released the 2024 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) results.
The results have painted a picture of progress, with better overall performance compared to last year.
A total of 797,444 candidates from 14,883 schools registered for the exams in 2024, marking a significant increase from 749,347 candidates in 2023. Of these, 524,025 candidates from 11,451 centres (65.7%) were supported by the Universal Primary Education (UPE) program, while 273,419 candidates from 3,432 centres were from non-UPE schools. This growth reflects the continued trust in education as a foundation for Uganda’s future.
The results brought good tidings to many families, with 91.8% of the candidates passing the exams, an improvement from the 88.0% pass rate recorded in 2023.
However, there was a slight decline in candidates attaining Division 1 grades, with the majority performing well at Division 2 level.
Gender and Subject Performance
As the saying goes, [What a man sows, so shall he reap]. This year’s results highlighted a growing victory for girls in education. Of the total candidates, 418,750 girls (52.5%) sat for the exams, surpassing the 378,709 boys (47.5%). This reflects the success of ongoing efforts to promote gender equality in education.
Two-thirds of the candidates showed medium ability in English and Social Studies, while about 60% exhibited medium ability in Integrated Science. Notably, 17% of candidates demonstrated higher ability in Mathematics and English, outperforming the 14% in Integrated Science, Social Studies, and Religious Studies.
Education continues to open doors for all, including inmates in correctional facilities. Luzira Upper Prison registered 71 candidates [70 males and 1 female], while Mbarara Main Prison had 37 male candidates. UNEB’s Executive Director, Dan Odongo, praised the Uganda Prisons Service for expanding educational opportunities to more inmates, with Mbarara joining Luzira in this inspiring initiative.
Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni, the minister of education announced that the Selection Exercise for Senior One students will take place on January 30 and 31, 2025, and first Term for the Senior One cohort of 2025 is set to commence on Monday, February 17, 2025.
For schools and stakeholders, results are accessible through UNEB’s examination center portals, with hard copies available for collection at UNEB’s offices in Ntinda starting Monday, January 27, 2025.
With these results, UNEB reminds the nation that education is like a tree, when nurtured, it bears good fruits.
Today, the fruits of dedication and hard work are ripe for harvest, bringing hope for a brighter tomorrow in Uganda. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
