Controversy as UNEB Ignores Education Ministry’s Directive Over Withdraw of Seroma Exams Centre Number

The Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) has come under intense criticism for defying a directive from Mary Mutende, the Commissioner for Private Schools at the Ministry of Education.

In a letter dated May 28, 2024, Commissioner Mutende ordered UNEB to temporarily withdraw the examination centre number of Seroma Christian High School in Mukono district. The school had terminated Senior Four and Six students, illegally citing poor academic performance and low grades.

Despite this clear directive, with a copy signed by the commissioner, UNEB’s Executive Director, Dan Odongo, chose to disregard the order, allowing Seroma Christian High School to retain its examination centre number even when the school was investigated and found at fault for expelling candidates who paid their registration.

The public has been left baffled by the ensuing controversy, as conflicting statements from the Commissioner and UNEB officials circulate widely. Investigations reveal that the Seroma Christian High School administration may have influenced the situation by allegedly bribing or threatening certain officials to undermine the initial directive.

These revelations suggest a concerted effort by the school’s administration to protect its interests, despite clear evidence of wrongdoing. The scandal has further intensified public outrage and confusion, with many questioning the integrity of UNEB and the Ministry of Education’s handling of the situation.

For years, Seroma Christian High School has exercised unscrupulous practices that have left so many parents and students at a huge loss. The school is known for enrolling a large number of students and charging exorbitant registration fees for Senior Four and Six candidates.

But in a disturbing twist, the Christian school reportedly “sells” some students, particularly those considered poor performers, to other schools to sit their exams from there, after negotiating with the school directors of those schools at a small payment. This practice not only exploits parents but also enables the school to retain significant profits from these transactions.

The lack of transparency and the unethical treatment of students and their families have added ‘petrol to the fire’, stressing serious systemic issues within the education sector that demand immediate attention and reform.

Still, when asked about the commissioner’s letter instructing them to temporarily withhold Seroma’s centre number, Jennifer Kalule Musamba, UNEB’s Principal Public Relations Officer, remains silent about the matter.

However, she did not deny the existence of the directive UNEB chose to disregard, leaving the public with many unanswered questions.

Initially, the school threatened journalists, warning them not to write anything regarding the matter and further questioning how they obtained a copy of the directive.

Simultaneously, the school and UNEB officials are investigating to establish a person who leaked the commissioner’s letter which had been kept secretly out of reach of non-staff.

When contacted for a comment, Amelia Kyambadde, the resident director, expressed strong resentment towards the ministry for leaking information about the school to the press.

“Tell me how you accessed this information. I call the PS and the Commissioner for an explanation. We handled that matter at the ministry and it was resolved,” Kyambadde claims.

Sources at the school have informed us that Kyambadde and other staff members are determined to resolve the issue and keep it out of the media spotlight, aiming to protect the school’s reputation at all costs.

On May 31, 2020, UNEB issued a statement confirming they had not withdrawn Seroma Christian School’s examination Centre. However, critical analysts suggest that this is a calculated move aimed at preserving the school’s reputation.

Background

The directive to suspend Seroma Christian High School’s UNEB Centre Number follows a decision made during a meeting at the Ministry of Education, which was attended by the school’s resident director, Amelia Kyambadde, and the head teacher.

The commissioner initially called the meeting after receiving complaints from parents of the expelled students. During this meeting, all parties agreed that the school would readmit the expelled students and allow them to sit for their UNEB exams at Seroma.

The ministry’s intervention came after a parent raised concerns about students being expelled for poor performance despite having paid the registration fees.

It was also revealed that the school administration had planned to have these students sit for their exams at another school without the parent’s knowledge.

Amid the confusion, the ministry discovered that over 100 students had been intentionally dismissed for the same reason.

Despite the resolution reached during the meeting, the school administration refused to reverse their decision regarding the students’ expulsion. Since then, parents of the expelled students have been contacting the commissioner, reporting that their children were being denied entry to the school.

In trying to follow up on the matter, the commissioner found that the school director and the head teacher refused to take her calls and eventually blocked her number, frustrating her efforts to establish the truth.

“This is an act of impunity on the part of the Director, clearly showing that the terminated learners were not going to be considered as earlier agreed in the meeting of 25th May 2024,” the letter addressed to the UNEB Executive Director indicates in parts.

The letter further states that Kyambadde’s actions are punishable under the law, as they deprive the learners of the opportunity to advance to the next level of education. This situation inflicts pain, psychological torture, and financial loss on both learners and parents.

To support parents and learners amid this dilemma, it was decided that Seroma Christian High School should not have access to registration for any of its learners until all the expelled students are readmitted.

“I request you to temporarily Block the UNEB Registration Centre Number of Seroma Christian High School Mukono, until they obtain and present a clearance letter to you from the office of the undersigned concerning the above issue. To inform you that this act sabotages the Ministry and UNEB plan of fully implementing the newly approved Lower Secondary Curriculum,” Mutende instructed.

The school insists that the registration at their centre was closed.

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