A photo showing pupils sitting on the ground in an open field while writing exams has gone viral on Ugandan social media, purportedly depicting the poor state of Uganda’s education system during the ongoing 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
However, the claim is false.
The same image has been repeatedly recycled during past national examination seasons and misattributed to Uganda — particularly to rural districts like Buyende — to criticize government education policy.
A detailed verification by 211 Check, a digital fact-checking platform, found that the photo originates from South Sudan, not Uganda. A Google reverse image search traced it to Holy Cross Comboni Primary School in Yirol, South Sudan, where it was first posted on the school’s official Facebook page in May 2022.
The image’s original caption identifies the pupils and location, confirming its South Sudanese origin.
Xclusive Ug also conducted an independent review and found no evidence linking the photo to any school or examination centre in Uganda.
Despite repeated debunking, the image continues to resurface each year — especially during national exams — often amplified by political commentators and viral social media accounts.
A recent post by @maankelectronics2 on TikTok, which falsely claimed the image was taken this year in Buyende District, attracted over 14,000 likes, 6,000 shares, and more than 1,000 comments within days — demonstrating how quickly misinformation can spread during sensitive national moments.
The continued circulation of the image underscores a persistent pattern of misinformation targeting Uganda’s education sector, particularly around issues of infrastructure and exam management.
✅ Verdict: The viral photo showing pupils sitting exams outdoors is not from Uganda. It was taken in Yirol, South Sudan, in 2022.
