The Minister of State for Primary Education Hon. Joyce Moriku has said government has directed schools to allow students sit their final exams even with non or half paid fees and other dues.
The Minister made revealed on Wednesday during a Parliamentary sitting chaired by the Rt Hon. Anita Among. Her submission arose from a complaint by Hon. Francis Mwijukye the Buhweju Member of Parliament who raised that many learners in his constituency were being stopped from sitting their finals over unpaid fees.
“My prayer is that Ministry of Education directs that all candidates be permitted to sit exams because it is unfair that one will study all these years and be denied exams because of fees arrears,” Mwijukye told Parliament.
He instead proposed that government should direct learners and parents to ensure that before they pick up their passlips and certificates, they have fully cleared their dues.
In response to this however, Hon Moriku informed Parliament that as a ministry they have already engaged parents and school owners to work out modalities of paying up the school fees balances and not stop learners from doing their exams.
She said the earlier advance in technology had made school administrators strict on payment of dues before exams are administered.
“Once a child (candidate) is registered, results are obtained online, but we have taken it up and pledge to ensure that P.7 and S.6 candidates all sit their exams,” Moriku told Parliament.
On her side, the Speaker of Parliament, Hon Anita Among asked the ministry to ensure the directive is emphasized not only in government but also in private schools.
“You cannot spend seven years (primary) or four years (lower secondary) studying and then at exam time you are barred from sitting exams, it is unfair. Government is supposed to give us free education,” the Speaker said.
Among also urged the ministry to present to all schools a circular pointing about the directive such that which ever fails to comply is held accountable.