Punish exam cheats, ministry urged

A non-governmental organisation on quality education has appealed to the Ministry of General Education to take stern action against teachers and leaners found with leaked examination papers.

National Action for Quality Education in Zambia executive director Aaron Chansa expressed concern over reported cases of rampant examination leakages in many parts of the Country.

The organisation appealed to the Ministry of General Education to for stern punishment for all those found wanting.

Mr Chansa called upon the Examinations Council of Zam- bia (ECZ) to tell Zambians the source of these leakages, noting that for years, so many pupils and teachers had been arrested and disciplined for the same crime.

He said the vice was affecting quality of graduates as many pupils had stopped studying and depended on leakages.

“We appeal to all teachers, the police, and parents, the media, the church and all Zambians to join the crusade against this evil vice.

“With that background, we strongly feel that the ECZ knows the source of these leakages and must come out in the open, as this is a matter of national concern that should be addressed,” he said.

He said examination malpractices affected smooth running of society as well as affecting personal development, economic and political development of a country. Examination malpractices make pupils who pass through the school system as mere statistics as they don’t acquire any skills or competencies that should add value to national development.

In 2013, learners from four secondary schools in Kitwe violently rioted after they discovered that the leakage they had was fake. This taboo again happened in Kasama in 2015.

And also in 2014, 39 pupils were arrested in Lusaka for being in possession of leaked examination papers, and the scourge continued in 2015 and 2016, with many more cases of examinations leakages that were recorded in many parts of the country.