Kampala, Uganda – In response to a significant decrease in distinctions and first grades in the recently released 2024 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results, schools across Uganda have lowered their cut-off points for admissions through the national placement process. This adjustment affects both traditional and newly established schools, with some lowering entry requirements to as low as 8 aggregates.
For instance, St. Henry’s College Kitovu has raised its threshold from 6 to 7 aggregates, while King’s College Buddo has adjusted its entry points from 4 aggregates for boys and 5 for girls to a uniform 5 aggregates for both genders. Kigezi High has also modified its cut-off from 8 to 7 for boys and from 9 to 10 for girls. Other schools like Ndejje SS and Iganga SS Girls have similarly revised their entry criteria.
This shift aims to accommodate the increasing number of students graduating from primary school while ensuring that no qualified learners are turned away. John Baptist Tumusiime, the Director of Studies at St. Henry’s College Kitovu, noted that the changes were expected given this year’s performance. The Ministry of Education anticipates that approximately 80 percent of the 722,730 learners who passed the PLE will be allocated to secondary schools by the end of the placement process.