KAMPALA – While female candidates continue to outperform their male counterparts in the 2024 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations, a persistent gender gap in subject selection and overall participation remains a significant concern, according to results released by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB).
UNEB Executive Secretary, Dan Odongo, announced the results, highlighting the now familiar trend of female students achieving higher pass rates, particularly in humanities subjects. “At all the three, all the levels as we look at the table down the past, levels of the females are higher,” Odongo stated, emphasizing the consistent pattern of female outperformance.
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However, despite this success, the overall candidature reveals a stark gender disparity. Of the 141,996 candidates registered, a significantly larger proportion were male. Furthermore, while females excel in humanities, their participation in science subjects remains lower than that of males.
“The A to E column for females, the percentages are better than those of the males, particularly in the humanities, but the reverse is true when we look at the science subjects,” Odongo explained, pointing to the ongoing gender gap in subject choice.
The 2024 results also revealed a record-breaking overall registration, marking a 28.4% increase compared to 2023. The overall pass rate stood at 98.8%, though a slight proportional drop in higher-level passes was noted.
Odongo expressed concern about the continued low transition rates from UCE to UACE in science subjects, likely linked to lower pass rates at the UCE level. He also highlighted the need for increased university places to accommodate the rising number of qualified candidates.
“It should also be noted that there are other post UCE vocational programs which attract significant numbers of the females. For example, in the health sector,” Odongo stated, showing that the gender gap is also presented in vocational programs.
The UNEB results included data on special needs candidates and inmates, with 437 special needs candidates registered and all 48 inmate candidates from Uganda Government Upper Prisons qualifying for the UACE certificate.
The persistent gender gap in subject selection and overall participation, despite female outperformance, underscores the need for targeted interventions to encourage more female students to pursue science subjects and to ensure equitable access to education at all levels. The results have sparked renewed discussions about the factors contributing to this gap and the strategies needed to address it.
