Primary Leaving Examinations 2023: Analysis of Results and Concerns Over Division U Performance”

First Lady Janet Museveni has unveiled the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) results for the year 2023 at State Lodge, Nakasero.

A total of 749,254 candidates from 15,859 schools registered for PLE in 2023, marking a decrease from the 832,654 candidates in 2022.

Out of this total, 501,602 candidates (66.9%) from 11,365 schools were beneficiaries of Universal Primary Education (UPE), while 247,652 candidates (33.1%) were non-UPE.

Although a higher proportion of the 2023 candidates achieved Division 3 and above, Dan Odongo, the UNEB Executive Director, expressed concern over the significant number of candidates in Division U, totaling 88,269 (10.4%). He emphasized the need to address this issue to prevent these candidates from contributing to school dropout statistics.

Odongo highlighted districts such as Kibuku (31.5%), Madi Okollo (31.5%), Dokolo (28.9%), Kween (28.4%), and Namisindwa (28.9%) with percentages exceeding the national average in Division U. He stressed the importance of investigating and addressing the root causes in these districts.

Division U is awarded to candidates who fail to reach the minimum performance level for at least a Division 4 and renders them ineligible for admission to Senior 1 class.

Odongo remarked, “Overall, the candidates’ performance is comparable to that of 2022.”

Citing Section 5(2) (b) of the UNEB Act, 2021, Odongo announced that the Board would withhold results for affected candidates pending investigations. If a prima facie case is established, the Board’s tribunal (Examinations Security Committee) will provide a fair hearing before making final decisions. Following the tribunal’s conclusion, a list of districts and schools with cancelled results will be published.