School raises exam registration fees

Wits College Namulanda has increased the exam registration fees from the officially announced charges set by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), for this year’s Senior Four and Senior Six candidates.

This year, while releasing the S4 exams, the UNEB Executive Secretary Dan Odongo disclosed that the examination body charges 34,000 shillings, 164,000 shillings and 186,000 for Primary Leaving Examinations, UCE and UACE, respectively.

The same information is contained in a circular released by UNEB and copied to Head teachers of all primary and secondary schools; District Education Officers; District Inspectors of Schools and the Examination Centre Supervisors.

But according to a visitation day circular that was released by the Wits College administration on Sunday, March 11, S4 candidates will now be required to pay exam fees of Shs 200, 000 and 220,000 for S6, respectively.

‘UNEB REGISTRATION FEES: All students in S4 will pay 200,000/= while S6 will pay 220,000/= to facilitate the process of registration. The deadline for paying the money is 28th March, 2018. This money should be paid…’ the circular indicates in part.

Sources that talked to this website on a condition of anonymity, said Wits College Namulanda has over 200 S4 candidates, adding however, that the centre will only accommodate 91 of them, all paying Shs200, 000, in effect, earning the school administration over Shs3 million more than what is officially provided for.

The sources further said the remaining S4 candidates, whose number is about 100 will then be taken to other centers and charged Shs 280,000, bringing in Shs11 million more. By press time the EagleOnline was unable to establish the number of S6 candidates the school is set to register.

Efforts to contact Wits College administration were futile by press time, but the sources said the issue of charging higher examination fees is rampant, carried out mostly by Head teachers of private primary and secondary schools.

Early this year, the Minister for Education and Sports Janet Kataha Museveni warned and vowed to take action against schools that hike examination dues among other fees.

Similarly, in his submission, Odongo implored schools to always clearly why they are charging more money instead of lumping the charges as ‘UNEB fees’.