By Fortunate Ahimbisibwe

Kampala, Uganda, 30th January 2008 - ABOUT 10% of the candidates who sat for the Uganda Nurses and Midwives National Examinations last year failed. Of the 1,705 candidates, 186 did not meet the requirements to practice nursing or midwifery, according to examinations board.

Only 36 candidates or 2.6% passed with distinction, 835 passed with credits, while 648 had passes. The results were released at the Ministry of Education head quarters in Kampala yesterday.

The board secretary, Hellen Mukakarisa, said the candidates sat for examination in registered pediatric nursing, registered nursing, registered midwifery, enrolled comprehensive nursing, enrolled nursing, enrolled midwifery and enrolled psychiatric nursing. She added that the performance of the students improved by 0.4%.

In 2006, 11.3% failed out of the 1,389 who sat the examinations. None of the 92 candidates, who did the examinations leading to the award of a diploma in registered comprehensive nursing last year, got a distinction.

The Minister of State for Higher Education, Gabriel Opio, said the Government would recruit more tutors to facilitate the teaching of nursing and midwifery courses. There are 32 nursing schools which are run by the Ministry of Education countrywide.

Opio the examinations board would be registered with the African Educational Assessment Association next year.

Opio added that Ugandan nurses would become the second to do the association’s exams after those in South Africa. As a result, the nurses’ qualifications will be highly recognised in all parts of the African continent.

Meanwhile, the Uganda National Examinations Board will this week release results of the students who did O’level exams.

Source: New Vision