Uvtab Candidates Worried Over High Cost of Materials During Final Exams

Rukungiri: Candidates sitting for the ongoing Uganda Vocational and Technical Assessment Board (UVTAB) final examinations have expressed concern over the high cost of materials required to complete practical papers.

The most affected are learners undertaking technical courses such as plumbing, building and construction, tailoring, and salon operations, whose exams demand a wide range of expensive materials.

On December 1, at Gables Vocational Training Centre in Rukungiri District, candidates told our reporter that the financial burden is becoming unbearable.

Godius Atukwase, a Diploma student, said they sat for a concreting practice paper on Monday December 1, which required them to provide bars, stirrups, boards, binding wires, sand, and cement, all costing about UGX 105,000.

Another candidate, Andrew Nuwagaba, said his plumbing exam required a wash-hand basin, trap adaptor, pipes, wall plugs, and other fittings, costing him UGX 175,000.

The students acknowledged that practical exams help them acquire hands-on skills but argued that the cost of materials is too high, especially for learners who are already struggling to pay school fees. They appealed to the examination body to start providing materials for such examinations in the future.

CUE IN….VOXPOP STUDENTS…RR

The school principal, Abel Byabagambi Bashome, confirmed the challenge, noting that the new UVTAB curriculum is highly practical and requires costly inputs. He cited the plumbing paper, which required each candidate to have a complete sink system costing over UGX 300,000, forcing some learners to hire components from hardware shops in Rukungiri town.

Byabagambi appealed to the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Education and Sports to consider supplying materials to all examination centres, both private and government, to support the country’s efforts in promoting hands-on skills training.

CUE IN….BASHOME….RR//ENG

When contacted for clarification, UVTAB spokesperson Naras Kambaho said the board determines the average cost of practical exam materials at UGX 80,000. He explained that before any exam is set, UVTAB conducts internal trials to estimate the cost and time required.

CUE IN….KAMBAHO…RR//ENG