The Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) wants government to address the low numbers of students opting for sciences at advanced level.
Uneb chairperson Prof Mary Okwakol said this while releasing results of the 2019 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) last Thursday.
“This is a persistent trend that needs to be addressed urgently to ensure that the nation has sufficient number of learners in science disciplines to enroll for science-based professional programmes at universities and other tertiary institutions,” Okwakol said.
She cited Mathematics in which only 30 per cent of the candidates registered for the subject, and just above 10 per cent of the total A-level candidature registering for sciences. “For females [undertaking sciences], the situation is no better because the figure is even less than 10 per cent,” she said.
At least 104,476 candidates registered for UACE, compared to 99,516 in 2018. Of these, only 43,635 were female. According to Dan N Odongo, the Uneb executive secretary, whereas Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology are compulsory subjects at O-level, fewer students opt for combinations in these subjects at A-level.
“In 2019, Physics had 10.9 per cent candidates, also about the same as in 2018; Chemistry had 16.2 per cent, a slight increase from 15.4 per cent in 2018; and Biology 14.0 per cent, also a slight increase from 13.3 per cent in 2018,” Odongo said. Biology continues to be a cause of concern. In the last four years, less than 50 per cent of the candidates obtained passes at principal level in Biology.
At A-level, Uneb sets questions to test the candidate’s ability to handle higher tasks such as descriptions, explanations, analysis and evaluation. Odongo observed that in sciences, there is evidence of teaching theoretically with minimal or no practical experience given to candidates.
As a result, candidates who performed poorly showed inability to follow instructions and procedures during the practicals, failure to accurately record data or even make meaning of any of the data recorded.
“There is a serious problem developing in the Biology practical paper where candidates do not carry out the dissection of specimens provided but proceed to make drawings crammed from textbooks. Invigilators observed that some candidates walked out without even attempting to touch the specimens,” he said, urging teachers to expose learners to dissection, an essential skill for students that will enroll for medical courses.
Meanwhile, Janet Museveni, the Education minister, said deliberate efforts are required to increase the number of science teachers and improve their welfare in order to raise the numbers of students in sciences and improve performance.
In the interim, she urged schools to relax what she described as ‘unrealistic demand’ of admitting only students with distinction scores to offer sciences at A-level. Museveni believes that a student with a Credit three or four can comfortably study a science subject at A-level.
IMPROVED PERFORMANCE
Beyond the Science puzzle, results indicate that a high percentage of candidates at 98.6 per cent qualified for the award of the UACE. At the minimum two principal pass level required for university admission, 65,723 candidates (63.6 per cent) qualified. In cases where one principal and two subsidiary passes are considered for admission to Other Tertiary Institutions, 89,050 (86.2 per cent) will qualify compared to 83,536 (85.8 per cent) candidates in 2018.
Like in 2018, the failure rate has remained at 1.4 per cent. Cumulative results show that 103,301 candidates failed the examinations in 2019 compared to 97,328 in 2018.
Proportionately, Odongo said that female candidates, though fewer at A-level, performed better than their male counterparts. Indeed, the failure rate of females is also lower at 0.9 per cent than for males at 1.7 per cents.
At school level, King’s College Budo soared from second position to lead with the highest number of candidates with maximum points (20) points at 18. Uganda Martyrs Namugongo, previously in sixth position, leapfrogged to the second slot with 17 candidates obtaining 20 points while Mengo SS has maintained her third position with nine candidates.
Namilyango College which topped the table in 2018 with 13 candidates obtaining 20 points descended to the 79th position with no candidate registering maximum points. At subject performance, St Mary’s SS, Kitende dominates with the highest number of As in Mathematics, History and Divinity. Uganda Martyrs Namugongo leads in Chemistry, Physics and Biology while Iganga SS takes the lion’s share in Literature, Agriculture and Geography.
Mengo SS stands out in Economics, Seeta HS in Entrepreneurship, Our Lady of Africa SS, Mukono in Fine Art, Sseke SS in Luganda and Gombe SS outshines in Islamic Religious Education.
nangonzi@observer.ug