

31 January 2025, 9:28 am
By Ronald Ssemagonja
Heads of schools from across the country have commenced the process of placing learners into Senior One. The exercise, held at the UMA Show Grounds in Lugogo, Kampala, was graced by the Minister of State for Primary Education, Hon. Joyce Moriku Kaducu.
“On behalf of the Ministry of Education and Sports, and on my own behalf, I thank God for the gift of life and for a new year. It is by His grace that we gather here to celebrate another milestone—placing our learners who were successful in the 2024 Primary Leaving Examinations into secondary schools across the country,” Kaducu said.
Kaducu further stated that, as communicated by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) during the release of PLE results on 23rd January 2025, approximately 92% of candidates passed and are eligible for admission to secondary schools and higher institutions of learning.
“This is an improvement on the 2023 performance. While we acknowledge that challenges remain, particularly absenteeism among both teachers and learners in some schools, we are implementing measures to address this,” she said.
According to the minister, the government has been implementing early grade reading assessments at lower primary levels to improve foundational learning.
“It is important to remember that all schools are public institutions entrusted with the critical task of nurturing the potential of our young people, shaping them into responsible, productive, and resilient adults,” Kaducu stated.
She urged all private secondary schools to participate in the national placement exercise for the sake of transparency and public accountability, and to spare parents the struggle of searching for school places for their children.
“I would like to inform the public that the issue of the A-Level curriculum is being addressed. Lastly, I wish to inform you and the general public that the first term for the Senior One 2025 cohort will commence on 17th February 2025. Once the placement process is completed, the list should be displayed immediately,” she emphasised.
It should be noted that in previous years, most schools admitted only learners who scored between four and six aggregates. However, this time, several schools have adjusted their admission criteria.
For instance, St. Florence Secondary School had a cut-off point of 21 aggregates last year, but this year, it has been revised to 26.
“We have decided to admit learners who obtained aggregates between 4 and 26 because we want to give them the opportunity to study. Many schools only consider those with aggregates between 4 and 6, so we have chosen to offer these students a chance as well,” said Mr Mubiru Jamil, the Deputy Headteacher.