By Diana N. Kintu
The Ministry of Education and Sports has officially launched the 2026 Senior One (S1) selection and placement exercise at the UMA Show Grounds in Kampala, with Government emphasising fairness, transparency and equity throughout the process.
Presiding over the opening, the Minister of State for Higher Education conveyed greetings from the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Museveni, and commended headteachers, education officials and development partners for their continued dedication to nurturing Uganda’s learners.
She described the exercise as a critical national responsibility, noting that the decisions made during the process would shape the academic journeys and future opportunities of thousands of young Ugandans.
The Minister outlined three key principles to guide the placement process: fairness, to ensure that every learner who sat the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) has an equal opportunity regardless of background, religion, region, gender or economic status; transparency, to guarantee integrity and accountability in order to maintain public confidence; and equity and inclusion, with particular attention to vulnerable learners including girls, children with disabilities and those from disadvantaged communities.
According to the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), 722,730 out of 786,981 candidates who sat the 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations — approximately 92 per cent — passed and qualify for admission to secondary schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions. Most of the successful candidates are beneficiaries of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme, which has expanded access to basic education in Uganda for nearly three decades.
The Minister reaffirmed Government’s commitment to free primary education and to expanding opportunities at secondary and vocational levels. Since 2019, Government has constructed and operationalised 204 seed secondary schools, with an additional 55 currently under construction. More than 200 community schools have been grant-aided, while 42 community polytechnics have been established to absorb learners pursuing vocational training.
She cautioned headteachers against imposing unauthorised charges in Universal Secondary Education (USE) schools and warned against converting classrooms into unsafe boarding facilities. Affordability, she stressed, remains central to Government’s mission of expanding access to education, adding that stern action would be taken against those found culpable.
In her closing remarks, the Minister urged school leaders to provide safe, inclusive and disciplined learning environments for the incoming Senior One students. She encouraged them to guide learners to realise their potential and nurture them into responsible, productive and resilient adults, before officially declaring the 2026 placement exercise open.