UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAM WAS/IS A DESCRIMINATION TO THE POOR AND THOSE IN REMOTE AREAS I have been so slow and calm to react on the stopage of UEE to leave everything in the hands of the University Council(whether clean or not). In as much I would say we are going to miss the Universty Entrance Examination because it provded as a mouth piece check to those who leaked during MSCE. The UEE was there as a winnower to get rid of all the weavils, little stones and unscrapped rice from the real ones. May be this is the reason we could hear this one 16,14 ponts but were left out; perhaps because of the screening by the UEE. And from what was being written by the candidate the UEE examiners would tell the unequivalence of the portrayal of knowledge through paper. However, it doesnt make sence seing a student who has been struglng for four years preparing for MSCE and it should be ruled out by the test taken in a single day; three papers written consectvely together. There are several factors that would affect such leaerners. They have strong pressure that all the academic battle I have fought now this is my last entry exam, this leaves most leaners at panic as such with the tense they fail to make it though others do. In as much as one would fanatically say there are several students who qualify for college and UEE remains the best way. Yes, it is true for example just last entrance, there were about 12 000 students who sat for UEE but only about 2 000 learners made it to UNIMA. My questiuons remains simple, Was UEE effective enough, were the 2 000 who made it more qualified than their fellows? ANYWAY, MY STAND REMAINS THAT UEE WAS A DISCRIMINATION TO THE POOR AND REMOTE AREA DWELLERS WHY? 1. THE COSTS OF COACHING FOR ENTRANCE In as much as one would argue that you could do wthout coaching to UNIMA. I would like to say that is is every student priority to attend UEE Coaching inorder to gain confidence that you are able to engulf the UEE and be able to get a gate pass to UNIMA. It is sad to note that with the rising cost of things UEE Coaching hasnt been spared as well. Imagine now some students pay as much as MK30 000 for UEE Coaching to gain the Language, Numeric and Reasoning skills. This is where the discrimnation to the poor comes in, how do they expect them to cough such huge some of money while one has been attending a community secondary school struggling to pay MK6 000 per term? as such UEE should be ereminated. 2. One would counter argue that one can do without coaching. Nevertheless should we forget that stationary is also something that hinders the poor and those iin remote areas not to fully make it to UNIMA. One would not attend the UEE but cant escape from buying the UEE pamphlets, photocopying past papers and other related materials. I dont expect one to argue that one would copy by the hand all the UEE materials? Never! still on this the less economical are disadvantaged. 3. It is to our aware that UEE has only 4 centres in Malawi. LILONGWE, MZUZU, ZAMBA AND BLANTYRE. It is expected that every single candidate should write their UEE to such centres which have a lot of centres in it. Think of a student who was born in Chitipa, attended both his/her primary and secondary school in Chitipa and has never been to even a nearby district in Karonga. Has no relatives in Mzuzu. When it comes to UEE that student is required to be in Mzuzu in the morning for his or her UEE. think of transport from Chitipa to Karonga, Karonga to Mzuzu. because its far and cant make it to travel in the same day and be in Mzuzu, Katoto Secondary School as a centre for example, the leaner will need to leave in the previous day, spend a nght by the lodge, meals and after writing getting back home. Think of these costs discriminating the poor. One surely fails to write UEE because of such costs. How about if one would just photocopy a form. feel it. send though post Office. with a fee of MK5 000. life would be at leasr fair for them. 4. Another factor. considering the economic crisis we are going through. the government was spending alot of money paying the a) UEE superviisors imagine in Lilongwe there are normally centres like; Bwaila, Chipasula, Lilongwe Girls, Chisapo, Bambino(pvt) secondary school , Lilongwe Techinical college, Kamuzu College of Nursing, African Bible College, Bingu International Conference hall, Heath Sciences and others i left out. imagine in all these centres there are 6 supervisors in each against all the centres. probably, if there were 20 centres, it gives us about 160 supervisors for Lilongwe only. lets think of the transport to these centres, it is the government probably they board a coach. and some taxis to various centres. the coach giving us MK9 500 and the taxi giving us approximately MK15 000. To and Fro about MK30 000. for accomodation. in a hotel, may be MK40 000 a night. and an allowance of MK30 000 making it MK100, 000 and individual supervisor. AGAINST 120 supervisors in Lilongwe, constituting to about MK12 000 000. KOdi ndalama imeneyi sangatiwonjezere malswitch yathu ija or feel up a gap in the health sector for medicine or buying some ambulances or some cars or minibus for secondary schools for easy transportation of leaners when ill. MK12 000 000 is huge some of money for Lilongwe, how about Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu...it would give us almost MK45 000 000 (makobidi ambilitu amenewa, nde muti UEE ipitilire? tumvera inu) b) the stationary for the exam for about 12 000 students who sat for UEE this year nanga masuwiti amagawa aja. This alone would also give us millions of kwacha (ndalama zimenezi zingathe kugwira ntchito ina). 5. the other reason is that UEE now lost its essence, there is nothing new in the questions, they repeat the same questions, one even recall the question and options given in some paper. how would they test the originality of someones reasoning and application of knowledge in this way. may be if they came up with fresh questions but related the better. Finally, one would perhaps question what would you suggest as an alternative of UEE, lets resort to the system used by NZUNI and LUANAR. There should be forms, one should fill for their choices of courses and the college of their choice and send through post office or email. After all with the new management of Dr. Gundula as the Chief Executive Officer , his magement has strengethened the security of exam leakage nanga since this year have we heard any exam leakage again? that why at such positions there is a requiremtnt of those who did related things. imagine he was the lecture at chancellor college in Education Foundation couser of Testing and Measurement and you know it is his field. oof course I know others would equally make it. That would be better. (AWA NDI MAGANIZO ANGA, INU MUKUTIPO BWANJI?)
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 15:02:39 +0000