In Uganda, there are seven primary school years, from primary one to primary seven. With normal annual progression this means primary school should last seven years, but many pupils drop out part way through and return later, so it is not unusual to find teenagers sitting primary exams.
At the end of primary seven, pupils sit their first major national exams – the primary leaving examinations (PLE). Presently PLE has four examinable subjects – English language, mathematics, science and social studies. The best possible mark pupils can achieve is a total of four (which means one point – a distinction – in each subject), while the worst is a total of 36 (nine points for each subject, which means a fail).
Students with between four and 12 points pass the PLE with a first grade, or division one.
Those with scores between 13 and 23 get a second grade; 24 to 29 get a third grade, while those with 30 to 34 pass with a fourth grade.
Primary school tuition has been free in government schools in Uganda since 1997. But pupils, especially those in rural areas , face serious challenges to finishing their education – for example, they lack scholastic materials, like books and pens, they often have to study all day on an empty stomach since no meals are provided at school, and schools often have poor teaching methods.
Don’t Give Up Foundation supports such vulnerable children through accessing better schools with better facilities, teachers and scholastic materials. Through your help, we change the destiny of Uganda by educating and improving lives of one child at a time.
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