EDITOR
Education stakeholders in Kabale and across the country have expressed concern over the fate of Primary Seven candidates following the release of the 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) timetable by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), even as the ongoing teachers’ strike enters its third week.
UNEB Executive Director, Dan Odongo, released the timetable on September 23, 2025, indicating that the national exams will commence on October 31, 2025. However, with the Uganda National Teachers’ Union (UNATU) industrial action still ongoing, there are fears that the candidates may not be adequately prepared.
The industrial action, which began on September 15—the opening day of the third term—has left thousands of pupils stranded. In some schools visited by our reporter, administrators expressed worry that P.7 candidates may register poor performance since this final term is critical for exam preparation.
Christine Kobusingye, the head teacher of Lower Bugongi Primary School, said that primary teachers remain the least paid in Uganda and accused government of neglecting their plight.
“If the government fails to enhance teachers’ salaries, our candidates will definitely perform poorly because this is the polishing term,” Kobusingye warned.
Eric Sunday, the Director of Studies at Bugongi Primary School in Kabale Municipality, noted that the situation is dire since pupils are missing lessons. “P.7 candidates will be greatly affected because they are not attending classes,” he said.
Kabale District Education Officer, Tumwijukye Moses Bwengye, also voiced concern over the looming impact on performance. He revealed that only 4 out of 113 primary schools in the district are still teaching, with teachers in those schools facing pressure from colleagues to join the strike. Bwengye appealed to teachers to resume teaching as UNATU leaders continue negotiations with government.
Meanwhile, UNATU Secretary General, Filbert Baguma, said in a telephone interview that teachers have waited for three years without any salary enhancement. “Teachers are also parents. The government must urgently resolve this matter, otherwise our tools will remain down,” Baguma emphasized.
With just one month to the PLE, the standoff between government and teachers has left the academic future of thousands of candidates hanging in the balance.
