12 November 2008
editorial
EXAMINATIONS are an important tool meant to enable teachers assess how much knowledge has been grasped by or imparted into their pupils.
It is, therefore, important that every year pupils are tested and those with splendid marks are allowed to progress into responsible positions in Zambia's quest for development.
But of late, examinations have been turned into a circus with papers leaked out long before pupils are allowed to write.
This is worrying to the Government and, unfortunately, the problems of examination leakages have become as perennial as the rainy season.
This year, four pupils have been arrested in Luapula Province after being found with examination papers long before their sitting date.
The arrest of the four led to 35 other pupils from various schools in the province who have since been expelled for being illegally in possession of examination papers.
Examination papers in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Literature in English and Religious Education were stolen from an examination centre where envelopes had been tampered with.
According to Luapula Province police chief, Auxensio Mbewe, police arrested four pupils from Mansa Skills, and further investigations led to the expulsion of others from the same school, Mansa High School, St Clements, Mwense and Kawambwa High schools.
Our concern is the frequency at which examinations are being leaked in Zambia.
This is despite teachers taking an oath every examination season when they pledge to uphold the tenets of the education system.
These include protecting examination papers and keeping them away from pupils being tested.
So why is it that only pupils are arrested and not the officials entrusted with these documents? Arrests have been made, but very few culprits have been prosecuted.
Perhaps the time to stiffen the punishment is now since deterrent measures already in place have not yielded any results.
Merely threatening to dismiss them has not worked in the past.
At what level are these examination papers leaked and which group of Government officials are involved?
These are questions begging answers and the Government must act now before the outside world starts looking at Zambian students as products of a fraudulent education system, which we are not.
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