All is not lost for students who scored poorly in their exams

Failure in exams and life in general is not the end of the road. I want to start by giving hope to all Form Two students who have scored poorly in their National Assessment. For example, I have seen the results Mbagala Secondary School students, where 204 students scored in division zero, while 899 students scored in division IV. Likewise, 229 students from Mburahati Secondary School got a division zero and 261 students a division IV. In reality, these students are in a difficult situation (psychologically) but let us encourage them because getting such poor results is not the end of the road. There is still hope ahead.

We have to approach this setback with a positive attitude and determination.

Students need to work harder and have better support and guidance; the key is identifying and addressing the problem early. Their failure is not the end of their story; it’s just a turning point.

There is a second chance for them. It is important to remember that there are multiple paths to success and that a single setback does not define you or your future. For example, such students can repeat Form Two, retake the exams and pass with flying colours.

There is a Form Two student (a girl) whom I know. She has failed the exam too. Unfortunately, she does not want to hear about going back to school. In such and other similar cases, parents or guardians may decide to take such children to vocational schools, where they will learn a particular skill or profession.

They can go for apprenticeship to gain hands-on experience and learn the in and out of a specific field or work. They can even start a business, farming, or pursue other career paths. The opportunities are endless, and age is on their side; if they study hard, they can become who they want to be.

The students need to understand that they still have a second chance, and their current performance does not define their future, but it’s just a step towards it.

They don’t have to kill their dreams just because of their poor performance. Please keep an open mind, be persistent and give your best. Advice to parents and guardians, let’s encourage these children and let them know that we are there to listen and support them. Let’s encourage them to talk to us, their teachers, and mentors, and see what they think can help them improve, and go for it!

It’s also important to note that getting a division zero or IV should not be seen as a failure; it’s an opportunity to identify the gap and work towards filling it.

The important thing is not to give up but to keep pushing forward. The students need to know that they are capable and talented and that they can achieve their goals with hard work, passion, and dedication.

As a teacher, I know that various factors affect students’ performance in any given school. Both internal and external environments can play a role in determining the students’ performance.

Whatever the cause for this year’s poor performance, the government, educators, and parents must collaborate to come up with a solution.

We must ensure that educators have the necessary education and training materials for their jobs. For instance, appropriate classroom space, food, teaching and learning resources/materials, etc. All these things create a conducive environment for teaching and learning to take place.

To enable those schools that have performed poorly to produce better results in the future, the barriers that have contributed to such poor performance need to be identified and reduced, if not entirely eliminated.