It is my opinion that many of the shortcomings which I believe exist could be overcome fairly simply. I have designed a 15-point plan to improve the structure and administration of examinations in Namibia which I have presented to the Deputy Minister and to the Director of National Examinations.

All syllabuses should be clearly supported by recommended textbooks and exam questions should be linked clearly to the information and detail provided in these textbooks. This would avoid the problem of teachers setting exam papers to their selected teaching materials outside of recommended books.

Improve the standard of exam papers before they are copied and sent to the centres, by introducing a review system that checks that the exam papers are properly reflective of the syllabus and the questions are clear and unambiguous.

Memoranda for markers should be prepared and similarly reviewed by experienced teachers.

The application of the marking schedule should be carefully explained to marking staff with emphasis placed not on specific words or wording but on the candidate showing understanding of the topic. 'Parrot learning' does not reflect a good understanding and as such does not provide a sound foundation for tertiary education.

Exam papers, mark schedules and marking quality could be reviewed by external moderators drawn from the tertiary education sector in Namibia.

Adopt a far more rigorous system for appointing markers, reflecting educational experience as well as depth of knowledge of the subject.

Markers should not be paid by the number of papers marked as this results in markers being driven by an incentive to rush rather than to mark carefully and accurately.

Anonymity of individual candidates is essential. This could be achieved using bar codes on papers.

Anonymity of centres is equally essential. This could also be achieved using bar codes, but would need reinforcement of anonymity from administrators.

Transparency. This is fundamentally important. As educators if we are making mistakes we need to understand where and why. It is also necessary to establish confidence in the system and prevent situations like the one we are in now, when educators and students alike find marks impossible to believe. Heads of Department should be allowed to see marked scripts on request, and markers should be able to justify their marking.

Re-marking should be done more rapidly, by a different set of markers, costs for re-marking should be moderate, and refunded if faulty marking is detected.

The timing of examinations and marking should be reviewed. Exams should be written later to give an extra month of teaching time, and teachers should not be taken out of active classrooms to mark.

An alternative would be that Grade 10 students could return to school for the month of November to do bridging courses for the next phase of their education.

A system should be put in place whereby candidates who enter examinations on Higher level and fail to achieve enough for a Higher level pass can have their marks converted to Ordinary level pass. In this way we would prevent our students and schools from always aiming low.

Additional Mathematics in Grade 10 should be a truly Additional course, while all candidates also write and get a separate evaluation for the standard Mathematics as the present situation penalises those who attempt Additional Mathematics.

Resit opportunities. Marking should be completed in good time and an opportunity for re-sitting the examinations without repeating the whole year should be provided, as is the case in most other examination systems in the world.

Susan Brown

Director: Combretum Education Trust