Education minister answers Uganda Christian University questions
By Janet Kataha Museveni
We bring you an explanation by the Minister of Education Hon. Janet Kataha Museveni towards Uganda Christian University (UCU) questions about online exams, the university intended to give to students. She starts by greetings:
Good morning fellow Ugandans, I saw your comments on the COVID-19 response plan statement I issued for the Education sector, I have replied some of them below.
1. Question by UCU Student – Please be informed that there is a difference between online exams and take-home exams. UCU is giving take home exams which in a layman’s understanding is known as homework and the only difference is that it will be submitted Online.
The university was going to give each student 3Gb of internet data to facilitate submission of the take home and carry out research. By the time the school was closed, we had completed 95% of our semester and we were only waiting for Exams.
You cancelled this take home while considering the “poor” but now my question is, did you put in consideration the transport fare these students will have to incur just to come back for the exams? How about accommodation for that period and other expenses.
Reply: I know that 95% of the work was done but the exams were yet to be done. And YES we have cancelled the take home exams because we must consider everybody including the poor as you say. Your question was whether I considered the transport fare it would take to come back just “for exams”. Yes, I did consider everything and yes I believe for you to come back alive, healthy and safe to do your exams is not “just for exams”.
It is something you should be grateful to do and consider that all the people rich and poor should thank God to be able to come back to finish their course. The God who paid for your course, and kept you safely so you may defeat the corona virus pandemic will help you come back for the exams, I trust. – Janet Kataaha.