Nebbi PLE Blunder: Special Needs Candidate Forced to Use Magnifying Glass After UNEB Packs Wrong Papers

A Primary Leaving Examination candidate with low vision at Angal Boys Primary School Centre in Nebbi District faced an anxious start to his national assessments on Tuesday. The learner was forced to rely on a magnifying lens to complete his Mathematics paper after the Uganda National Examinations Board wrongly packed his examination materials.

Officially registered under the special needs category, the candidate was supposed to receive a large print question paper in accordance with established UNEB guidelines. Instead, the examination centre received standard small print papers meant for regular candidates, creating sudden panic just moments before the papers were distributed.

Mr. John Walter Jakuma, the District Inspector of Schools for Nebbi, confirmed that he received an urgent report from the school’s headmaster regarding the missing large print envelope, despite prior requests having been properly submitted to the examinations board.

Upon identifying the packaging error, Mr. Jakuma immediately consulted UNEB officials for guidance to salvage the situation without compromising the candidate’s future. Following emergency consultations, UNEB granted permission for the school to source a magnifying lens from nearby Angal Secondary School as a quick alternative arrangement.

Reflecting on the tense morning, Mr. Jakuma noted that swift administrative action prevented the candidate from missing out entirely. Local education authorities have since urged examination bodies to implement stricter pre-distribution checks to ensure that students with special educational needs are never disadvantaged by logistical blunders.

Read more about this incident in the Daily Monitor.