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The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has reassured the 2024 candidates and the general public that the marking of this year’s Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) scripts is continuing without disruption, despite some examiners leaving the marking centres due to dissatisfaction with their pay rates.
Disagreement on pay rates
On December 13th, when marking was set to begin, two groups of examiners, responsible for marking Physics and Agriculture theory papers, decided to abandon their posts after a dispute over the payment rates for their work.
The examiners expressed concerns about the compensation, leading to negotiations between the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) and the striking staff.
The Board contracted seven thousand examiners this year for marking both the New Curriculum and the Transitional/Old Curriculum Examinations.
Speaking on the matter, UNEB Executive Director, Dan Odongo, reassured that the majority of examiners are on board and marking is proceeding as planned.
“ Although some examiners walked out, we are confident there will be no major impact on the exercise,” he said.
About 100 of the 400 Physics examiners and 59 of the Agriculture examiners, according to Odongo, walked out.
“Their departure will not affect the marking process as the remaining staff are able to handle the task effectively.”
Efforts to resolve the dispute
According to Mr Odongo, the negotiations with the striking examiners were unsuccessful, despite UNEB’s efforts to address their concerns.
“We have explained to the examiners that we have already considered the dynamics of the new curriculum and made adjustments accordingly to match available resources,” Odongo clarified.
Marking continues smoothly
The Board remains confident that the marking exercise will proceed without further interruptions.
Mr Odongo expressed gratitude to the 6,800 examiners who have remained committed to the task, acknowledging their contribution to this important national process.
“We are thankful to the examiners who have exhibited great patriotism and understanding, especially as this year’s UCE marking includes the first cohort of candidates for the New Lower Secondary Curriculum (NLSC),” Odongo added.