The system of education in Uganda has a
structure of;
- ·
Nursery/kindergarten: duration
of three years
- ·
Primary education: duration of
7 years
- ·
Secondary education: duration
of 6 years
- ·
Post-secondary education: duration
of 3 to 5 years
The best possible mark pupils can achieve in primary level is a total of four,
while the worst is a total of 36 (nine points for each subject, which means a
fail).
Students with between four and 12 points pass the PLE with a first grade, or
division one.
Those with scores between 13 and 23 get a second grade; 24 to 29 get a third
grade, while those with 30 to 34 pass with a fourth grade.
Pupils who pass their PLE can progress to
secondary school. This has two stages; the first four years, senior one (S1) to
senior four (S4), constitute the O-level period. At the end of S4, students sit
the second major national exams known as the Uganda Certificate of Education
(UCE) or simply O-level examinations.
Students who pass their O-level exams may
progress to A-levels or the Higher School Certificate (HSC). This lasts two
years, S5 and S6, after which students sit for the Uganda Advanced Certificate
of Education (UACE) examinations, also known simply as A-levels. All these
three annual national exams are sat between October and December.
Students who pass their A-levels may choose
to progress to university, where they can study for degrees, or to other
tertiary institutions that award diplomas and certificates. Some wealthier
parents send their children to universities and colleges abroad.
