The Kabale District Education Department has distributed district mock examinations to more than 3,000 Primary Seven candidates across 113 primary schools in the district.
Speaking during the distribution exercise at the district headquarters on Monday, Kabale District Principal Inspector of Schools, Wilberforce Nabaasa, said the exercise is aimed at preparing candidates for the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), assessing their competence and improving their readiness for the national examinations.
He said the examinations will be conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, with scripts to be collected and marked centrally at the district headquarters.
“We have registered 3,887 candidates this year. This examination is meant to prepare our learners for the national examination, test their competence and readiness because the paper is set in the PLE format,” Nabaasa said.
The mock examinations are being conducted in 113 primary schools, including private schools, under 111 examination centres. Nabaasa said the number of candidates registering for PLE in the district has increased steadily over the past five years.
He said the mock examinations will also familiarise learners with the format and conditions of the national examination, while building their confidence ahead of PLE, which is scheduled for early November.
He urged school administrators to ensure strict supervision of the examinations and conduct them in conditions similar to those of PLE.
“School administrators have been briefed to take caution in overseeing the conduct and supervision of this examination. They have been asked to put in strict measures to ensure that learners are supervised as they would be during PLE,” he said.
Nabaasa said centrally marking the scripts will enable the district to establish the performance levels of candidates and identify areas where learners need additional support.
He said the findings will give teachers and schools an opportunity to address learning gaps before the national examinations.
“We still have some time, so we shall do much to cover up the gaps that shall be identified,” he said.
Nabaasa urged teachers and candidates to take the exercise seriously, saying the purpose of the mock examinations is to establish how prepared learners are for PLE and help improve their chances of performing well.
CUE IN NABAASA….ON EXAMS….RR/ENG//
