2015-01-21Mathias Haufiku By Mathias Haufiku WINDHOEK - Fifty-eight Grade 12 students assisted by their teacher in final exams in 2013 had their results nullified but the teachers that leaked exam answers to the learners remain unpunished. The incident involving 58 learners assisted by a schoolteacher, a principal and two invigilators took place at Rundu’s Elia Neromba Secondary School where the alleged culprits violated regulations on the conducting and administration of national exams. While marking the 2013 Grade 12 Mathematics examination answer sheets, markers discovered two of the candidates had similar answers in some questions. The Directorate of National Examinations and Assessment and the Kavango Regional Education Office subsequently investigated the matter and it was found that the head of centre allowed the subject teacher to invigilate the 58 candidates at different times for both papers, according to directorate’s Malpractice Committee, which was presented to the National Examination, Assessment and Certification Board. “The candidates admitted the subject teachers did invigilate and assisted them in answering the questions. The two invigilators were requested to sign the checklist while they did not invigilate the subject,” stated the report. Teachers or invigilators found guilty of this offence face the prospect of losing their jobs permanently or being temporarily suspended. Since their results were nullified, the 58 candidates could not study any Mathematics-related fields if they wished to further their studies because the subject is one of the minimum entry requirements in most science and Math-related fields at most local and international tertiary institutions. Kavango Education Deputy Director, Fanuel Kapapero, on Monday told New Era the culprits will appear before the region’s disciplinary committee to face several charges related to negligence and overlooking examinations procedures. “They will appear before the committee once we set up the date. They have already been served with letters in which the charges are outlined,” he stated. Kapapero said the exam saga put the region in bad light, but took solace in the fact that each region has its own examination challenges. The country’s examination directorate has over the years worked endlessly to perfect the country’s examination system with malpractices such as candidates copying from one another, entering the examination hall with mobile phones and candidates going into the examination halls late, the more common offences. New Era last year broke the story that a male Mathematics teacher from the Elia Neromba Secondary School in Rundu went against standard examination rules when he invigilated the subject, which he teaches - a practice, which is forbidden. Students’ results were withheld pending investigations and subsequently nullified and declared void after they were found guilty. 2015-01-21Mathias Haufiku
