Girls have performed better than boys in the 2016 Islamic Primary Leaving Examinations results, released last week at Tag hotel in Old Kampala.
According to Is-haaq Kazibwe, the secretary of the Uganda Qur’an Schools Association (UQSA) examination board, the results showed a 25.1 per cent improvement on all subjects, compared to last year.
“This is because each year we get an increased number of pupils sitting these exams, who gain more interest in doing these exams compared to previous year. We have also increased the number of teachers,” Kazibwe said.
“Girls concentrate and revise more than boys. They also have more time to attend seminars and workshops organised by Qur’an associations where they do a lot of revisions towards Islamic subjects in primary schools.”
Umar BA Islamic Centre in Mukono district, Zam Zam Islamic in Wakiso, Zai Nursery & PS Namagoma in Wakiso, and Pick Hill PS in Kampala district performed well in the exams, with all their students passing in division one.
Of the 2,393 pupils who sat for the 2016 exams, 1,014 (42 per cent) passed in division one, while 698 passed in division two (29 per cent), 223 passed in division three (9 per cent). A further 226 obtained division four (9 per cent) and 216 failed the exams (9 per cent).
“[Some] 16 candidates registered for exams but they were absent during examination period,” Kazibwe said.
Out of 450 Islamic schools registered in the country, only 167 schools had candidates for these exams. The exams are the equivalent of the Primary Leaving Examinations under the formal education system.
The best done subject was Fiqihi (Islamic jurisprudence), followed by Qur’an (recitation and learning the meaning of the Qur’an), Tarubiya (Islamic ethics, Islamic history and the traditions of the prophet). The poorest performance was registered in Lughatul Arabiyya (Arabic language and grammar).
The association cited Muhammad Khairay Ssemwanga (aggregate 4) of Lukman PS in Wakiso district, Aisha Nakawungu Nseera (aggregate 4), also of Lukman, Abud Rahman Faiswal (aggregate 4 of Tawhiid Islamic PS,) Jamilah Haruna Ssaazi (aggregate 4) of Zai Islamic Nursery PS and Rashidan Natasha (aggregate 4) of Pick Hill PS as the best pupils.
zurah@observer.ug