Exam papers leaker faces up to half a million fine
Amidst the search for the culprit behind the leaked Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) exam papers, The Monitor has learnt that if found guilty, the individual could face a hefty fine of up to half a million pula or a maximum of 10 years in prison, or both.
This revelation came during a press conference at the Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) on Friday, where the Minister of Education and Skills Development, Douglas Letsholathebe addressed the ongoing investigation.
Although he did not disclose the identity or custody status of the individual responsible, he said that law enforcement agencies have been engaged, and the person behind the leak has been identified.
“What I can confirm is that it looks as if it was an individual. Through their preliminary investigations, the police have since established that this greedy and careless mess was done by an individual. This is a serious offence; the BEC Act states that if found guilty, the culprit could be charged a fine between P100,000 to P500,000 or 10 years imprisonment or both,” the minister explained.
While acknowledging that they could have handled the matter internally, Letsholathebe emphasised the commitment to the integrity of the institution and the education system, prompting the decision to hold a press conference. The postponement of examinations for 14 days was also announced.
“We had to see what to do to ensure that learners are assured that the examinations they are yet to sit for are not leaked. First, it’s the learners’ interest; we want students to be proud of their grades at the end of the examinations,” he stated. “We have pleaded with the BEC board to look at these examinations holistically. However, they assured me that PSLE was conducted properly and went well, but the problem was discovered in some of the BGCSE examination papers.”
Despite the challenging decision to postpone BGCSE examinations for two weeks, Letsholathebe highlighted the priority of upholding examination integrity. The examinations are now rescheduled. He appealed for everyone’s cooperation and urged teachers to support students during this period.
“It’s a difficult decision to take as there will be lots of costs, but they come last before examinations integrity. Examinations will be shifted to October 30th, and I have pleaded with everyone to make sure they do not leave any stone unturned. However, I am pleading for teachers’ support to help learners in these two weeks,” he added.
Letsholathebe further urged learners to utilise the two-week break to prepare for the ongoing examinations while allowing the ministry to conduct further investigations. He assured the public that papers that students had already written were not compromised.
“Junior Secondary School examinations will be carried out as planned from October 16 to November 3, and we can assure the students and public that they were not leaked, hence students should prepare for those examinations with confidence,” he said.