Snake Scare and Absenteeism Mar PLE Exams in Bugiri

Primary Seven candidates sitting for their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) in Bugiri District experienced an unusual disruption when a snake invaded an examination hall. The incident occurred on Tuesday morning at Nawanjuki Baptist Primary School in Busowa Town Council just as pupils settled down to write their Mathematics paper.

The frightened candidates scrambled out of the hall in sudden panic. While some pupils attempted to hunt the reptile, it quickly escaped into a hole near a nearby electricity pole. School authorities acted swiftly by stationing a teacher armed with a stick to guard the area, allowing the pupils to return inside and resume their papers.

Ms Jeric Namulega, the school’s deputy headteacher, noted that despite the initial scare, the exams proceeded smoothly. Examination papers arrived on schedule, and candidates successfully completed both Mathematics and Social Studies without further incidents.

However, the reptile intrusion coincided with deeper systemic challenges across the district, particularly widespread candidate absenteeism. Bugiri District Inspector of Schools, Mr Nuhu Bisatu Kibira, revealed that preliminary reports indicated numerous registered pupils missed the national examinations due to child labor and early marriages.

At Nakawa Muslim Primary School, headteacher Mr Abdallah Magumba reported a missing male candidate who had reportedly traveled to Kampala to collect empty plastic bottles for sale. Education officials warned that child labor, early marriages, and student hunger continue to severely undermine academic performance in the area. To combat these rising dropout rates, the Bugiri district education department plans to petition the district council to enact strict protective by-laws.

Read more details about the incident in the Daily Monitor.