S. Sudanese pupils among top candidates in Uganda exams
By Bonifacio Taban Kuich
January 31, 2013 (KAMPALA) – South Sudanese were among top performers in the 2012 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results released by Uganda’s ministry of education and sports last week.
For a candidate to be in first grade, he or she must score between 4-12 aggregates in the four subjects examined, with aggregate 36 considered the worst.
More than 535,000 pupils, according to the country’s education ministry, registered for the national examinations, with at least 430,000 said to be eligible for secondary education. Overall, boys performed better than girls, although the results showed improved performances when compared to the previous year.
However, admission to secondary level is based on order of merit according to PLE results, or equivalents and the original order of choices made by the candidate.
Tap George, who scored aggregate 10 in last year’s examinations could hardly hide his joy upon receiving the results.
“My coming here [Uganda] was to have access to good education, since our country lacks proper syllabus of education. We came to hunt for better education in Uganda,” said the 17-year old boy.
South Sudan, until last year relied on the Ugandan education syllabus for primary schools. However, its newly developed curriculum, education officials argue, will greatly enhance the quality of education in the new nation.
Daniel Ayeul, who scored aggregate 6 in PLE said he is determined to achieve his dream of becoming an engineer.
But while his counterparts celebrated success, John Puoy told Sudan Tribune he was disappointed with the result. The 16-years old pupil scored aggregate 20, a result he claims shuttered his ambition of becoming a medical doctor.
About 500 South Sudanese reportedly sat for last year primary exams, with almost half of them said to have attained grade one.
(ST)