Government launches senior one placement exercise after improved 2025 PLE performance

12 February 2026, 9:15 pm

By Ronald Ssemagonja

Following the successful release of the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results by the Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Museveni, the Ministry has officially launched the National Senior One placement exercise. The 2025 results showed an improvement in performance compared to 2024, with more learners passing the examinations.

The launch took place today at the UMA Multipurpose Hall in Kampala and was presided over by the Minister of State for Higher Education, Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo. In his remarks, the Minister urged heads of secondary schools across the country to admit all learners who qualified for placement.

He called on school administrators to remain patriotic while carrying out their mandatory responsibilities, emphasising that every learner who passed deserves an opportunity to continue their education.

At the same event, the Commissioner for Human Resources in the Ministry of Education and Sports, Richard Enyomu, acknowledged that the shortage of teachers remains a major challenge in the education sector. However, he reassured headteachers that the government will continue recruiting teachers as long as the wage bill allows.

On the issue of retired teachers who have not yet been replaced, Enyomu urged school administrators to notify the Ministry in good time so that recruitment can be undertaken once funds become available.

Meanwhile, Jamiru Mubiru, Deputy Headteacher of St Florence Secondary School in Kampala, urged parents to carefully choose schools that provide quality education and proper care for learners.

“I want to call upon parents to make sure they take their learners to schools that will take good care of them and ensure that each learner gets what he or she deserves. For us, we take all learners who passed. We do not discriminate because we believe every learner who passed can become someone important in this country,” Mubiru said.

A total of 730,000 candidates who passed the 2025 PLE are expected to be placed in secondary schools or vocational and tertiary training institutions of their choice.

In a related development, the Chairman of Nsooba Slaughter House in Kampala, Sekanyo Suleiman, applauded headteachers who have allowed learners with outstanding school fee balances from last year to begin studying while their parents seek the required funds.

“I want to applaud headteachers who have given learners with school fee balances a chance to start learning as their parents and caretakers look for money. Many school heads focus only on fees, but those who have shown understanding and allowed learners to study, I honestly appreciate them very much,” he said.

The Senior One placement exercise is expected to streamline admissions and ensure that all qualified learners transition smoothly to the next level of education.