Teachers involved in exams leaks warned
TEACHERS who will be found wanting at the conclusion of the on-going investigations into examination malpractice risk being deregistered, the Teaching Council of Zambia (TCZ) has warned. TCZ spokesperson Ngoza Malonga said teachers who would be found to have been involved in the malpractice shall be de-registered as they would have breached the code of ethics for the Teaching Profession and the Teaching Profession Act No. 5 of 2013. "Pursuant to regulation 9 (1), (2) and (3) of the code of ethics for the teaching profession; a teacher shall treat examination records and information at the teacher's disposal as confidential," Ms Malonga said. She said according to the code of ethics for teachers, a teacher was not allowed to aid or abet a person in an examination malpractice but should report to an appropriate authority without delay cases of examination malpractice that came to the teacher's knowledge. "Furthermore, pursuant to section 46 (a), (b) (c), (d) and (e) of the Teaching Profession Act No. 5 of 2013, this would be professional misconduct," she said. She said under this section, a teacher committed professional misconduct if he or she contravened the provisions of the Act and engaged in conduct that was dishonest, fraudulent or deceitful. “A teacher who commits an offence under this Act or any other law can be sentenced to imprisonment for a period exceeding six months without the option of a fine," she added.