Islamic schools expand national examination programme

By Sarah Nalule

The growing number of pupils sitting Islamic Primary Leaving Examinations (IPLE) is highlighting an expanding effort by Muslim-founded schools to combine Islamic education with Uganda’s mainstream curriculum.

A total of 9,596 pupils sat the 2026 IPLE, organised by the Uganda Qur’an Schools’ Association Examinations Board (UQSAEB), at 390 examination centres across the country.

The number of centres increased from 280 last year, according to the Uganda Qur’an Schools’ Association (UQSA), which oversees the examinations.

The two-day examinations, which ended Tuesday, assessed pupils in Arabic Language, Tarbiya (Islamic tradition), Qur’an and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), with each paper lasting two hours.

For UQSA, the increase in candidates and examination centres is a sign of growing interest in Islamic education and the dual-curriculum system.

Dr Jjemba Haruna Abdulhamid, the UQSA secretary general, said the rise in participation had also prompted the association to strengthen its examination management.

“As the number of pupils and schools sitting the Islamic examinations increases, the association has trained more examiners to ensure that the examinations are conducted to the expected standards,” Dr Jjemba said.

The association has also increased its outreach to schools that have not yet joined the examination system.

Dr Jjemba said some schools are interested in participating but lack information about the programme.

“We have visited more schools to make sure that they come on board because the majority are not aware of the system yet they are interested in joining,” he said.

He added that the increase in schools offering both the national and Islamic curricula had contributed to the growing number of pupils taking the examinations.

The dual-curriculum approach allows pupils to study mainstream subjects while also receiving structured instruction in Islamic theology, Qur’an, Arabic and other religious subjects.

SCHOOL PREPARATIONS

At Madina Islamic Junior School in Katereke, 155 pupils sat the examinations after months of preparation.

The school director, Hajji Abdunoor Busulwa, said teachers had worked closely with the candidates to prepare them academically and mentally.

“Our learners are very ready and we have briefed them very well because we expect the best performance from them,” he said.

Hajji Busulwa said all the registered candidates were available for the examinations and had been guided on how to approach the final assessment.

“This year, we have 155 learners and all of them are present and ready to sit for their finals,” he said.

He urged pupils to remain focused, follow examination instructions and avoid anxiety.

At Bukhaary Junior School, 89 pupils also participated in the examinations.

The school director, Hajji Ismail Wagudde, said the institution has participated in the Islamic examinations for nine years and expressed confidence in the candidates.

“We are very ready to sit for our final examinations and we are very sure our learners are well trained,” Hajji Wagudde said.

However, he raised concerns about the timing of the examinations.

Hajji Wagudde said holding the examinations during the school holiday forces schools to keep candidates on campus, increasing expenses for feeding, supervision and other necessities.

“We incur more costs because we have to keep learners at school during the holidays. We wish to have these examinations when the term is still on,” he said.

He urged education authorities to consider scheduling the examinations within the school term to reduce the financial burden on schools and parents.

GROWING SYSTEM

UQSA says the increase in examination centres is part of a broader effort to make Islamic education assessments accessible to more pupils across the country.

The association is an umbrella body for Qur’an and Islamic theology schools in Uganda. Its members have mandated it to set and monitor the Islamic Primary Leaving Examinations.

The association also has a syllabus covering Islamic theology and Arabic language, which is used by schools under its umbrella.

The growth in participation comes as more Islamic schools embrace the dual-curriculum model, which enables learners to pursue mainstream education while maintaining their Islamic studies.

Dr Jjemba said the association would continue sensitising schools and training examiners as it seeks to expand the programme.

“As pupils return to their schools after completing the examinations, attention will now shift to the marking process and eventual release of results, which will provide a measure of the candidates’ performance and the progress of Uganda’s Islamic education examination system” he said.