2025 senior five placement exercise kicks off at UMA-Lugogo

21 February 2025, 1:02 pm

By Ronald Ssemagonja

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Sports, Ms. Kedrace Turyagyenda, confirmed that all learners who obtained Result One are eligible for progression either to the secondary level or to the skills-based Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) track.

“We are guiding headteachers to ensure that when students select a combination of three subjects, they should have at least a minimum of grade D in any of the subjects they wish to take,” she emphasised.

According to the Under Secretary and Selection Committee Chairperson, Dr. Jane Egau, over two thousand schools are represented in the selection exercise. Learners who were unable to obtain a grade D in any subject are advised to either join TVET or wait as the ministry works on a solution to this challenge. Headteachers have been instructed not to admit learners who did not qualify for a certificate. The ministry has assured students that they will be following the new curriculum and advised them not to fear, as it is not difficult. The training of teachers will be conducted after confirmation from the National Curriculum Development Centre.

Ms. Annet Nambuya, the headteacher of Nampuunge Community High School, stated that they have not encountered any difficulties in the exercise so far. “We have come for this placement exercise for the pioneers of the competence-based curriculum. It has been simplified for us, and the guidelines from the placement committee are very clear. The students assigned to us have scored within the range of A to D, and we are allocating them subject combinations based on their performance in different subjects,” she explained.

Byamukama Eric, the deputy headteacher of Everite College in Kampala, also shared his experience from the first day of the exercise. “There are no challenges because the majority of the students I am selecting sat their exams at my school. I know their abilities and competencies, so I am selecting them and assigning them suitable subject combinations based on how they performed in these subjects,” he said.

Saazi Aaron, the Director of Studies at Wampeewo Ntake Secondary School, noted that they are selecting subject combinations where learners scored at least a grade C or higher, which he finds quite straightforward.

This marks the first cohort of the Senior Five placement exercise under the new continuous assessment grading system. It should be noted that Term One for Senior Five learners will commence on March 3, 2025. The placement exercise is set to conclude on February 21, 2025.