“LDC result scandals need government action”- Students cry out

On Wednesday 7 February 2024, Law Development Centre released students results of the Academic year 2022/23 for the Bar course, Diploma in Law and Diploma in Human Rights. For the Bar Course, results reveal that a total of 2087 students sat for exams out of which, 701 students were reported to have passed, 894 were to sit for supplementaries, while 492 were reported to have failed the Bar Course and they don’t have the right to appeal and therefore cannot complain. However, since then, these results have changed more than five times leaving students asking whether these exams were really marked and students received their real results. The last batch to be told of their changes in the results was on 22nd March 2024 at LDC main Campus but up town, the portals have not been updated. 

Each students does a total of 15 subjects i.e Category A (five Subjects), Category B(seven subjects) and Category C(three subjects). The general rule at LDC is that if a student fails three category A subjects and pass others, then that student has failed the Bar course and such student does not have a right to appeal against the results. This rule violates article 28 of the Constitution of the republic of Uganda on the right to a fair hearing. Since the release of results, those students with the right of appeal, and had appealed against their results have been told that they were given results that were not theirs. The big question is whose results were they given in the first instance? It is believed in the LDC’s fraternity that students who were failed the bar Course could have fallen the victims.

On the 15th of March 2024, a Total number of 48 students from Mbarara Campus who had passed the bar course were summoned and told that they had failed some subjects and others were declared to have failed the Bar course. Between 12th March and 21st March 2024, a revalidation of results was done for only two subjects of Mbarara Campus that is Land and family and the results revealed that many students who had been given supplimenteries were found to have passed. On 22nd March 2024 while at LDC Kampala only students who had passed and those with rights of appeal received both hurting and good news. Some students found out that they had failed the course, other were told they had passed the Course on the same ground that they had been given wrong results. one student raised a question on the fate of the Students who had been declared to have failed the Course without the right of appeal. LDC arrogantly told the Students the results of the students who had been declared to have failed were not revalidated. The question is; how sure is LDC that such students did not pass the same subjects that were subject to revalidation??? 

What is even more hurting is the fact with these scandalous results and embarrassments caused to students, no action is seen being done by the administrators to these internal staff involved in these results alterations.

It is also common knowledge that Students who challenge lecturers while in Class are regarded to be stubborn and are always failed intentionally by those Lecturers and are dumped under the category of students without the rights of appeal. This is where Government needs to take action.

The learning environment at LDC is characterized by intimidation, threats and arrogance that has led to death of students. In the Academic year 2021/2022, two students died while being interrogated in the oral exams. In the Academic year 2022/2023, another student collapsed and died instantly while doing Orals at LDC Kampala yet, LDC seems not bothered at all. It is Common knowledge that Medical staff and standby Ambulances are always seen around LDC Campuses during Oral Examinations and many students are found in Hospitals during that time. Should parents continue to see their Children die in the hands of such kind of learning Environment yet Government can find a solution?

Making students repeat the whole course when a student has failed just three Subjects out of fifteen subject is very unfair especially under the circumstances under which exams and results have been handled. It should also be noted that these students could have passed the course but they have been denied the right of appeal under the rules LDC Management has created.

It is also true that during the Academic year 2022/2023 all staff in the Office of the Academic Registrar were dismissed from LDC employment due to various offenses including Sexual demands from students, tempering with students results and others. An inquiry from LDC indicate that, the whole system was not cleaned and it is common knowledge that there a syndicated system of bribery and protection of students during examination and some Lecturers have continued to release exam paper to rich and highly placed students or even change results to favour the known. LDC is aware of this as evidenced by blocking some of the Head Subjects from setting and supervising exams of the subject they head. It is also true that some students use their influence to enter examination rooms with Phones and receive answers from outside examination rooms from the lecturers. Students are now demanding the establishment of an Independent Examinations Board for LDC exams and an overhaul of the whole system at LDC.  

Payment of exorbitant fees for appeal and supplementary exams is not only exploitative but also meant to raise funds for the Institution yet, the end results are that it is always LDC at fault. Many students were meant to sit for supplementary exams, but later after payment, they were informed that their result had been misplaced and now cleared for graduation. 

Fear of appeal. Any student who has been at LDC will tell you that the Intimidation that is at LDC cannot allow students to challenge the results or else they will fail you to pass the Bar course. This calls for Government Agencies like CID, IGG, Anti-corruption institutions office of the President and others to move at LDC, verify and audit the results especially for those students who have been failed after the results were released and those students they have denied the right of appeal. Otherwise stress, depression and confusion is killing students.