KAMPALA –Advanced Level students with poor UACE results will now be able to pursue their desired courses at University level after doing a preliminary certificate course.
The National Council for Higher Education ( NCHE) in partnership with the Forum for African Women Educationalists FAWE and MasterCard foundation on Friday July 26, 2019 unveiled the Higher Education Certificate (HEC) to enable students whose UNEB results at senior six cannot qualify them for automatic admission to University to enrol for their desired courses.
Higher Education Certificate (HEC) is a manuscript that will endorse students after studying a one-year course that will entail basic concepts of their desired courses. This precursor will then enable them to apply for their preferred courses at the University.
The HEC is to also allow A-level Arts students to enrol for their desired science courses at higher institutions of learning after acquiring the certificate.
According to the Vice Chancellor Busitema University, Mary Akwakol, there is demand for higher education in the world today and this why the three bodies were prompted to come up with an idea of providing an alternative to A level failures.
“The demand for higher education has tremendously increased over the years. This has been largely brought by liberalization of higher education, the degree syndrome.” she explained clearly.
Ms. Akwakol also noticed that the desire for degrees had increased among employers, learners and the parents in the digital generation.
This means that the certificate will also enable students who are forced by their parents to do A level subjects which are not of their choices to enroll for courses they are passionate of despite offering Arts subjects at UACE.
The Acting Executive Director FAWE Regional Secretariat, Martha Muhwezi is optimistic and desirous that the preparatory certificate course will increase the number of girls in the science field because currently their numbers are still minimal.
“We realized that there are very few girls into Sciences and because of their numbers being low our intention is to ensure that the number of girls in Sciences goes up” she firmly noted.
The certificate will mainly provide an alternative to low-grade candidates at A-level to enrol for professional courses like Medicine and Engineering among others.
Under the normal procedure,a candidate is required to have passed at least two principal subjects to enrol for a degree program or one principal subject and two subsidiaries for a diploma.
Failure to meet or exceed the above standards has been a deterrent factor for most University hopefuls.
This has often prompted students to apply for a certificate course or to repeat senior six as an alternative to join the University to pursue a professional course.
