BY OUNI JASPHER
DOKOLO: David Eryatu, the Education Officer in Dokolo District, has issued a directive to all school Head teachers to refrain from registering a total of 794 pupils who received a Division U grade in the Primary Seven Entrance examination results released by the Dokolo District Examination Board (DDEB) on December 4th. This is in preparation for the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) in 2026.
Out of the 4,144 candidates who sat for the primary seven entrance in Dokolo, 3,341 successfully passed with grades ranging from Division one to Division four representing 80.3%, while 794 pupils did not pass representing 19.1% and 20 pupils in Division X representing 0.48%.
The DDEB has clarified that the purpose of this assessment was to select the most capable candidates, under the theme of “Selection of competent 2026 PLE candidates”.
Eryatu has also instructed school administrators to only register candidates who sat for the primary seven entrance, after receiving reports that some schools had refused to participate in the exam.
“Further exams will be conducted in March 2026 with strict supervision to ensure that the selected candidates are truly competent, and to verify that those who passed the primary seven entrance did not engage in any exam malpractice” he explained.
As the academic year is coming to a close on December 5th, Eryatu has requested that Head teachers submit their end of year reports by Monday December 8th.
Eryatu warned Head teachers that failure to provide a payroll list for their school would result in non-payment.
He expressed concern about some Head teachers who do not take ministry’s information seriously.
He also cautioned against schools enrolling ghost pupils in the Education Management Information System (EMIS) , as this will lead to the arrest and charging of Head teachers for extorting money from the government.
Eryatu also warned female teachers against having multiple partners and leaving their spouses for other relationships during this long holiday.
He shared an incident where a female teacher almost lost her life after her husband discovered her infidelity.
Eryatu emphasized that those who engage in such behavior will face disciplinary action and potential dismissal, as they will be reported to the rewards and sanctions committee.
Calvin Okello, the chairperson Dokolo district Head teachers association expressed gratitude to the education stakeholders and thanked the DDEB for the timely released of the results.
He said they are very ready for the start of the academic year 2026 with hope of being a year of good results.
At a gathering of education stakeholders, DDEB Chairperson James Ogwal Lima revealed that they have established 11 examination collection centers to reduce the need for excessive movement.
Out of the 79 participating schools, special recognition was given to Amunamun Primary School and Odeo Primary School in Adok Sub County for their significant improvements compared to previous years.
Ogwal also addressed concerns of exam malpractice, citing the suspicious practice of crossing out incorrect answers and writing the correct ones on top.
”Furthermore, there were reports of some schools only selecting their top-performing pupils to sit for the exams, leaving weaker pupils out in order to achieve better overall results” he said.
Okoth Isaac, secretary of DDEB, noted that this practice has resulted in a decrease in the number of pupils attending school due to the recent teachers’ strike over salary enhancement.
According to Okoth, the highest performing pupils in the Primary Seven Entrance Examination were from private schools such as The Grace Nursery and Primary School Agwata, Anyacoto Nursery and Primary School, and Dokolo Central Nursery and Primary School.
According to the Board, this revelation further solidifies the trend of private schools producing better results, with 224 out of the 262 pupils who passed with a first grade coming from private schools.
District Inspector of Schools Lameck Erecu stressed the importance of implementing the new curriculum in schools and encouraged head teachers to promote its use.
He also expressed disappointment with the lack of support for teachers, noting how their colleagues are often left to handle their funeral arrangements alone.
The release of the Primary Seven Entrance Examination results has shed light on various issues within the education system.
