New data from the Ministry of Education highlights a shortage in secondary school admissions for candidates who passed the 2023 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE). Approximately 20 percent of the 648,662 successful candidates have not been admitted to any secondary school. During the Senior One selection exercise in Kampala, only 515,160 candidates out of the total were placed in over 2,000 schools, leaving 133,502 candidates without placement.

Dr. Jane Egau, chairperson of the selection committee, attributed this gap to limited spaces in participating schools, citing indicators such as staffing, classrooms, and boarding facilities. She announced plans to conduct a survey to determine school capacities to inform future admissions.

Dr. Egau assured that remaining candidates would find admission in private schools that did not participate in the selection exercise and some technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions. She encouraged parents to seek guidance and assured that efforts would be made to accommodate all unselected candidates.

The selection process aimed to ensure that every candidate found placement, with schools seeking additional candidates to fill vacancies and unselected applicants placed in schools with available space.