|
Our exams must be cheat, leak proof
2009-05-04 20:06:04
By Editor
One of the critical markers in evaluating our state of education is the many examinations and tests that pupils and students are subjected to periodically.
Such exams and tests take place at various levels of the education ladder.
One starts doing the progressive class promotion examinations from nursery school and is then subjected to such tests for the rest of his or her active life.
Not only have examinations become a handy tool for assessing eligibility of such candidates for promotion to the next level of education, but are also the means by which society carries out the task of channeling the eligible human resources into the various sectors of the economy for productive engagement.
For the individual the examinations are the gateway to a lot of possibilities in life. For some it is a better understanding and capacity to handle their surroundings while for others it is the pursuit of their cherished life ambitions.
That is why it is critical that the concept of examinations be always subjected to rigorous review to ensure that it remains relevant, reflecting and meeting the needs of the society at any particular stage of its evolution.
Every effort must be made to ensure that it remains a tool that society can use not only to efficiently allocate its human resource, but to also evaluate how the resource is faring.
But for it to remain effective, reliable and relevant, every effort must be made to ensure nobody tampers with the concept.
One of the most serious tests to the credibility of examinations in Tanzania has been the periodic reports of leakages, reflecting serious weaknesses in the control systems.
The other equally serious challenge to the credibility of examinations is the cheats who examination results show are on the increase.
The National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta) while announcing the National Form Six examination results for this year, said it had cancelled the results of 25 candidates, eight among them being school candidates while 17 were private, after discovering that they cheated.
Shockingly, the cheats according to some reports do actually hire people to sit in and actually write the exams for them in return for payment!
It is also reported that in some cases the cheating is done in collusion with the examination supervisors. What a shame!
We indeed hope that in its overall review of the examinations set-up, the government through the ministry of Education and Vocational Training has adequately addressed not only the leakage, but also dealt with the devious strategies employed by the cheats.
Imagine having unqualified engineers, doctors, etc, running sensitive institutions, because they were able to cheat their way into the profession! Where would the nation be? Can it survive?
That is why the system must be tightened in such a manner that it becomes impossible from the beginning to leak the examinations or cheat in the process.
Unless we plug the holes in this effective way, providing a level playing field for all the candidates, we cannot speak of examinations in our country as handy tools of assess in eligibility of our people for promotions in the education system or
selection for particular tasks.
|
