Kampala — Performance in business, technical, vocational and community polytechnics certificate of education examinations is still below average despite a slight improvement compared to the previous year.

According to results released by the National Examinations Body (Uneb) yesterday, on average less than 40 per cent of Technical Education Examinations ( TEE) and Community Polytechnics Certificates of Education (CPCE) candidates passed last year's exams.

For example, out of the 345 candidates who sat for CPCE, only 124 candidates (35.9 per cent) passed. "According to reports we got from examiners, candidates in these polytechnics lack proper language of expression and this could have been a major fact contributing to the poor performance," the Uneb Executive Secretary, Mr Mathew Bukenya.

Mathematics and Science related subjects were the poorly done subjects, according to the results. Overall performance was slightly better than last year at 49.3 per cent although below average.

A total of 637 candidates did not show up for the exams. However, a slightly better performance was registered in the junior technical education exams where 4,974 candidates (60.6 per cent) passed out of 8,204 passed, reflecting a performance above average. Most candidates who passed in this category were at credit and pass levels.

Of the 12,271 students who sat for the exams under the two categories (UJTC & CPCE) from 134 centres, 3,458 completely failed the course. But the figure is lower compared to 10,175 who failed last year.

The technical education is a course pursued by O-Level leavers while junior technical education is for Primary Seven leavers. Overall, males performed better than female candidates as it has been in the last six years.

The results of 27 students were withheld over suspected malpractice.

Mr Bukenya said more effort must be put in attracting girls to join technical schools since only 25 per cent of them sat for the exams compared to boys who constituted 74.8 per cent.