The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has confirmed that marking of examination scripts at all designated centers nationwide is progressing smoothly as initially planned.
Last week, media reports emerged of several examiners walking out of marking centers due to dissatisfaction with payment rates. This stirred debate among the public.
UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo explained that while some examiners disagreed with the adjusted rates, the majority accepted and marking began efficiently across all centers.
Sources indicated that examiners were informed of a payment rate of Shs950 per script, though many had anticipated a rate of at least Shs1,500. Odongo noted that about 100 out of over 400 physics examiners walked out, along with 59 agriculture examiners. However, he assured the public that their exit would not significantly disrupt the exercise, which remains on schedule.
“There were efforts to negotiate with the examiners and explain that management had considered the dynamics of the new curriculum, making adjustments in line with available resources, but these efforts were unsuccessful,” Odongo stated on Monday.
UNEB was allocated Shs6.5 billion for O’level transitional examinations and an additional Shs6.5 billion to support assessments under the new lower secondary curriculum. Parliament also approved an extra Shs8.5 billion to cover examiners’ accommodation, payments, and meals during the marking process.
To manage the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) scripts for both the new and old curricula, UNEB contracted 7,000 examiners, who reported for preparations on December 6.
This year, a total of 379,620 candidates registered for UCE examinations under both curricula, marking a significant milestone in the education transition process.
