The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Fort Portal , Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Private Secondary Schools in Fort Portal Tourism City are struggling to conduct practical exams due to financial constraints. Senior candidates kicked off their Uganda Certificate of Education – UCE exams with their physics practical paper this morning.
However, some of the private schools in Fort Portal say that due to the closure of schools resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, they are no longer able to meet all their financial obligations since they were solely relying on fees paid by students.
At Fort Portal Senior Secondary School, the Headteacher, Regan Kateregga, says that even though they have managed to reopen for the semi-candidate classes, they are struggling to raise funds to buy laboratory equipment and chemicals that are urgently needed by the candidates.
Kateregga explains that the chemicals and apparatus needed for science subjects like Biology, Physics and Chemistry are costly for the school.
He appeals to the government to fulfil its promise of extending financial support to private schools to enable them to deal with the effects of the pandemic.
At Kabarole Adventist Secondary School, the Headteacher, Joshua Kagaba, says that to enable candidates to sit their first paper, he was forced to use half of the teachers’ salary to buy laboratory equipment and chemicals.
He says this was also not an easy decision to make since he had to first seek the teachers’ permission to allow him to delay their salaries so that students can sit their final exams.
Kagaba notes that this has been the worst financial crisis they have ever faced as school, adding that he is worried the situation may worsen if the government does not intervene.
Countrywide, at least 333,889 candidates from 3,935 centers are expected to sit for this year’s UCE examinations.
The candidates would have sat their examination last year around October. However, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the school calendar.
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