The just released 2018 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) indicates that Chemistry was the worst performed subject after most of the students failed to attain minimum pass eight
According to UNEB, 336,740 candidates registered for the examination from 3,658 centres out of whom 169,984 were boys and 166,756 were girls however 330,721 candidates appeared for the examination.
Speaking at the releasing of examination, the Executive Secretary Of UNEB Daniel Odong said, Chemistry showed decline in performance and nearly half of the candidates have not achieved the minimum pass eight level in Chemistry making it the worst done subject.
The overall performance of chemistry was at 49 per cent of the total number of students and fine at 99 per cent. He said there was improvement, at subject level where females students performed better than males in English, as Male candidates performed better in other subjects.
Mr. said Odong, there is an overall improvement in English language, Islamic religious Education and Physics. Mathematics and Biology have also shown improvement at the distinction level.
Examination results withheld reduced from 4525 in 2017 to 1825 in 2018, of the 2017 withheld results, 1977 were cleared and released. The 90 per cent of withheld exams are from the science field especially practical where teachers teach theoretically leaving students not conversant with practical.
The Chairperson of UNEB, Prof Mary Okwakol said Schools should not blame UNEB for poor performance of students instead get down and find out what the problem is.
“UNEB does not have a policy of under marking or using a grading system that advantages any category of schools against others as rumored by people on social media,” she added
Minister of State for Higher Education Chrysostom Muyingo asked education minister to whip if necessary and tackle the mistaken belief that good results are a preserve of a few schools.