The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni, officially released the 2024 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results today, marking the conclusion of another successful examination season. Speaking at the event, Mrs. Museveni highlighted key developments, challenges, and opportunities in Uganda’s education sector.
A total of 797,444 candidates from 14,883 centers registered for the 2024 PLE, a significant increase from the 749,347 registered in 2023. Of these, 524,025 (65.7%) were Universal Primary Education (UPE) beneficiaries, while 273,419 (34.3%) were from non-UPE schools. She praised the growing participation, noting that the Universal Education Policy has contributed to increased school attendance and reduced dropout rates, now at 1.3%, down from 1.8% in 2019.
The Minister commended the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) for implementing holistic assessment practices that evaluate students’ mastery of knowledge and skills. This, she noted, ensures learners are equipped to apply their education in real-world situations, beyond grades and aggregates. Hon. Museveni urged UNEB to provide more training for teachers to better understand and apply this new assessment approach.
Despite the overall positive outcomes, Hon. Museveni expressed concern about schools registering normal learners under the “special needs” category to unfairly secure extra time during exams. She emphasized that such malpractice undermines the credibility of Uganda’s education system and called for strict disciplinary measures against those involved.
The Minister also applauded the Uganda Prisons Service for extending education opportunities to inmates, with 71 candidates sitting PLE at Luzira Prison and 37 at Mbarara Main Prison. She emphasized the transformative power of education in rehabilitation and character building.
