The School administration of Universal College Mubende held a banquet in honour of their 2024 UCE Stars in a colourful ceremony that took place in the school’s main hall on Friday, graced by the entire school community, parents, PTA members, and the Board of Governors.
Universal College a secondary school located at Kisekende LC 1, Mubende Municipality, awarded their 2024 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) stars with tangible gifts and a full one-year bursary to each student willing to continue for A-level at the school.
During the jubilations event, headteacher Joseph Baryomumaisho revealed that the majority of the 2024 S.4 candidates excelled with most As in Project work others registered in Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics. He used the platform to announce that the school had started admitting students for A-level, teaching both arts and sciences.
“Most of our students got an ‘A’ grade. The majority scored As, Bs, and Cs, with only a few Ds. This proves that our teaching methods and practical learning approach are yielding results, I want to inform you, parents that we have the capacity in both human resources and facilities to handle students doing both Arts and Sciences,” he said.
Chairperson Board of Governors, Mr. Charles Masengere challenged the S.4 leavers to maintain the standard by continuing to perform well even at A-level and raise the flag of Universal College School wherever they go.
Charles who was in a jolly mood, based this better performance on faith in God and the hardworking staff which prepared the students very well.
“It was not an easy task to pass these exams, but all was possible by the will of God. I thank all our teachers, school administration, and the parents who took good care of us to the extent that we emerged the best in these exams.
“Am not surprised by this performance because I expected it, here we train students not only in Academics but even in other disciplines that’s why our students were the best in the whole of Mubende in project work,” Charles remarked.
Kisekende LC1 central chairperson Moses Bruce extended the token of appreciation to the School Management on behalf of the parents. He challenged the succeeding S.4 Class to emulate the good performance and do better in the 2024 final exams.
Lawrence Sekirabi the Deputy Headteacher explained that despite being the pioneers of the new curriculum, 90 students who sat for the Senior Four Final exams at Universal College School excelled with a score of Result one, most of them with distinctions (A); and all the students qualified for admission to the A-level.
With the first batch of competency-based learners now set to transition to A-Level, Uganda’s education system is poised for a major transformation. The new curriculum, while initially met with skepticism, has been praised for producing students with better communication, confidence, and research skills.
This is the first time in Uganda’s history that learners have sat for UCE examinations under the new curriculum, a reform aimed at equipping students with critical thinking, research, and problem-solving skills.
The 2024 UCE examinations comprised two sets of exams. The Transitional Examination was the final exam conducted under the old curriculum, providing a pathway for students who had studied under the traditional content-based system.
The Competency-Based Examination introduced new assessment methods, with an emphasis on practical skills, research, and continuous assessment, departing from the previous system that heavily relied on memorization and written exams.
One of the most significant shifts in the new curriculum is the grading system. UNEB abolished the traditional 1-9 stanine grading system (Distinctions, Credits, Pass, and Fail) and introduced letter grades (A, B, C, D, and E).
The 2024 UCE results not only mark the end of an era for the old curriculum but also set the foundation for a more skills-oriented education system one that could shape Uganda’s workforce and economy in the years to come
