PARLIAMENT– Parliament has given the Ministry of Education and Sports up to Thursday to explain to the nation what remedies it has put in place for students who were forced to miss Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
The ultimatum was issued by Deputy Speaker, Jacob Oulanyah following a matter of national importance raised by James Waluswaka MP (Bunyole West) who raised concern following reports that some primary seven pupils missed their exams because the head teachers did not pay exams fees.
“I request Government to allow these pupils sit exams and not miss a whole year. The culpable teachers should also be brought to book,” Waluswaka said.
His comments follow reports that at least 20 primary seven pupils of Bahrain Nursery and Primary School at Buseyi Village, in Iganga District failed to sit for their PLE which started on Monday and end today.
The pupils’ failure to sit for exams was after the school administration allegedly connived with Ministry of Education officials and misappropriated money meant for their registration.
According to the pupils, they paid Shs80,000 for registration and shs17,000 as facilitation for the two-day examination exercise, and an additional Shs7,000 in pre-registration fees and Shs10,000 for passport sized photographs.
Rosemary Sseninde, the state minister for primary education confirmed that the ministry was in the know about the situation, describing the scenario as unfortunate, but said it is too late to reveal if the ministry has remedies for the students.
“We need to get back to the ministry it is difficult for the ministry committee to explain the reasons leading to this. Many of these children came to school and they thought they would sit and found they hadn’t been registered,” Sseninde said.
However, Oulanyah cut Sseninde short demanding that she updates Parliament on Thursday on what the education ministry has done on this matter
