Underperforming PLE candidates urged to repeat P7

The Minister of Education and Sports and First Lady, Janet Museveni, has encouraged candidates who did not perform well in the 2024 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) to consider repeating Primary Seven (P7). 

While officially releasing the results at State House Nakasero on Thursday, January 23, she noted that overall performance had improved compared to the previous year, even though fewer learners attained Division 1 scores.

To the candidates who successfully passed, the minister noted multiple opportunities for post-primary education, including secondary schools and technical education. 

But for those candidates whose results did not meet expectations, Mrs Museveni encouraged them and their families to remain determined and consider sitting for the PLE again. 

“I encourage you and your families to persevere and give PLE another try,” she said.

“As I stated last year, learners repeating P7 in UPE schools are still eligible to benefit from the capitation grant.”

Additionally, the minister urged parents to remain open to technical education but encouraged students to complete at least O’Level first. 

“Lower secondary education is vital in getting learners grounded in basic knowledge of the natural sciences such as physics, chemistry, biology, maths, and other art subjects,” she explained, adding that this foundation is crucial for students considering technical education in the future.

Dropout Rate Declines, But Minister Calls for Greater Action

While noting improvements in student retention, Mrs Museveni revealed that the dropout rate had decreased from 1.8% in 2019 to 1.3% in 2024. 

However, she called on school headteachers and management committees to address the issue of candidates dropping out before sitting their exams.

“We need to understand why a learner who has registered to do PLE does not show up to sit these exams,” she noted.

PLE Results Show Notable Progress for SNE Candidates

A total of 797,444 candidates from 14,883 schools registered for the 2024 PLE, compared to 749,347 in 2023. 

Of these, 524,025 (65.7%) were Universal Primary Education (UPE) beneficiaries, while 273,419 (34.3%) were non-UPE candidates.

Overall, performance was better than in 2023, with 91.8% of candidates passing the exams compared to 88.0% the previous year. A larger proportion of students also passed at Division 2 level and above.

The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) chairperson, Prof Celestino Obua, provided further insights into the results, reporting significant improvements among Special Needs Education (SNE) candidates, particularly deaf students. 

The number of ungraded candidates in this category fell from 44% in 2023 to 23% in 2024, marking a major improvement.