2008-01-23Staff Report 2 "By Frederick Philander WINDHOEK One of the teachers that are allegedly involved in the theft of Grade 10 examination papers at Koblenz Junior Secondary School has tendered his resignation. The school's Grade 10 results were in December last year summarily declared null and void by the Ministry of Education. This was earlier confirmed by the director of examinations at the head office in the capital, Cowley van der Merwe. New Era has reliably learned that 97 Grade 10 learners at the school near Okakarara had been affected and penalized due to the examination discrepancies, allegedly initiated by certain members of staff. It is understood that a high-level three-man education investigating team was dispatched to the school from the Otjozondjupa Regional Education Office last week with the reopening of the school. After a two-day in loco investigation of the issue, a report recommending punitive action against the alleged culprits was submitted to the regional director and the Permanent Secretary of Education, Vitalis Ankama. Apparently, arrangements have been made for the few Grade 10 learners of the 97, who sat for the examinations and have legally passed, for enrollment at other schools in the region. It is expected that the Ministry of Education will act against those teachers that are suspected of involvement in the issue, considered to be an embarrassment to the teaching profession. New Era has also learned that the Grade 10 results of two schools in the Erongo Region have not been delivered. ""There was some miscommunication between the Erongo Regional Education Office and the two specific schools. The Grade 10 results came out when both schools were already closed for the December holidays. ""An arrangement was made that the principals would pick up the results at the Teachers Resource Centre at Omaruru,"" said an Erongo regional education official, Levy Shigwedha, when approached for comment Monday. The two schools affected by the incident are S.I.'Gobs Secondary School at Omaruru and the Petrus Ganeb Secondary School at Uis. " 2008-01-23Staff Report 2
