By Editorial,
The Minister of Education and Sports and First Lady, Janet Museveni, has expressed concern over the declining proportion of boys completing primary education, calling for an evidence-based investigation into the trend.
Speaking yesterday during the release of the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results, Mrs Museveni said that while the increasing number of girls completing primary school is encouraging, the steady drop in boys reaching the same level is worrying.
According to the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), a total of 817,883 candidates registered for PLE in 2025, up from 797,444 candidates in 2024.
In comparison, in 2024, girls accounted for 52.5% of candidates, while boys accounted for 47.5%, indicating a persistent and widening gap. UNEB also reported an increase in the number of candidates with special needs. END