The Teaching Service Commission has learnt with sadness the leaking of the final examination papers and has commended the Minister of General Education David Mabumba for the quick intervention in the postponement of examinations.
Teaching Service Commission spokesperson Jane Mbambara says examination malpractices compromise the quality of education which in turn would hinder the country’s social and economic development.
Ms. Mbambara has since called for thorough investigations so that perpetrators are brought to book as soon as possible.
She has further appealed to teachers who may have any information regarding the leaked examination papers to help the investigative wings in order to continue upholding the values and principles of a teacher as enshrined in part 1 of the Code of Ethics for Teachers.
General Education Minister David Mabumba indefinitely suspended all the 2018, Grade Seven, Nine and 12 examinations following malpractices.
Mr. Mabumba announced that investigations have also been instituted to ascertain the extent of the alleged malpractice.
However, Socialist Party General Secretary Cosmas Musumali has described as shocking government’s decision to indefinitely suspend the writing of the 2018 exams for grades 7, 9 and 12.
Dr. Musumali has also wondered why such postponed of wring of Examination Council of Zambia (ECZ) exams does not happen often.
In a statement to media Dr. Musumali said that as far as he can remember, there has not been a single year that can be described as smooth and fair for over 20 years now during these exams, adding that the problem to the Country’s education system goes beyond leakage of exams papers.
Dr. Musumali said that there is more cheating through unauthorized assistance to candidates during exams which he said was likely involving invigilators and fake candidates hired to write for those able to pay.
Dr. Musumali added that the rampant smuggling of notes, answers, charts and other materials by exam candidates is what further makes a mockery of the entire exam exercise, adding that a political system that encourages and fosters greed and corruption is however what is to blame.
Dr. Musumali said that such a system is unable to manage public pressure for good school results and does not have the inbuilt incentive for adequate investments in education for its citizens and that what Zambia needs is a well-funded public education system based on equity and fairness
commended, what nonsense is that? They should have a fall back plan so that exam calender is not disturbed. Are they going to pay pulpils and parents for the extra cost for waiting for exams longer than initially planned?
Whats happening in education system in Zambia?
Commending his for failure!
Instead of holding him accountable for not protecting the papers, we are praising him co cancelling the exams. How do you praise a failure?
Then let us commend Edgar Lungu also for bringing unwanted Chinese.
Country has no leadership. No morals even among education professionals.
Understand there is no longer a government University. they are now disqualified to Colleges?
No wonder Oxford are telling us there are no universities in Zambia, just colleges.
OK as a first step, this is good news. But next time, have a backup plan.
Some students are honest, and have studied hard. Time does not wait for anyone, so this inconvenience to some is not welcome.
The bigger problem is that Lungu does not care, therefore corruption and leakages will continue under his rule.
Discipline is what is lacking in our society today. I wish I can teach ANIMO FARMS character.
The downgrading of our Universities is because of such leakages. leakage of examinations contributes to poor university graduates. Since ZEC came on the scene its been leakage after leakage. The graduates at the University cannot be said to be genuine because the system has been diluted by leakages.
Normally, 3 papers must be set and questions proof read before taking them for typing and setting of pages.
A string room must be introduced where only a small number of people have access and a minimum of 2/3 to be in the strong room at any given point in time. They should be thoroughly checked by ECZ security.
CAN EXAMS RESTART IMMEDIATELY
Exams are costly both for examiners and examinees and parents. Postponing indefinitely is rather careless and uncaring. Let the minister of fyatile remember that in boarding schools the school calendar is somehow rigid and cost prohibitive. I am waiting for my son to do his exams so we could fly out for a holiday. STOP WASTING MY TIME IWE. Looks like the Ministry did not do a good job.
@munone, I totally agree with you, commended for what? Commended for having no plan B in place? Come on people, Exam leakages are not new. They have always been there since time immemorial. You can’t tell me that the word leakage never existed in the Zambian exam lexicon under KK. This is not new. What was different was that the Examination council back then had a plan B. They always had back up papers ready to swap as soon as a leakage was detected.
How can this Ministry surely just have one paper in this world where social media , through which information travel fast, is everywhere?
To me the cancellation of exams reveals lack of planning, incompetence by the minister and his entire ministry. This has never happened in the history of this country!!!! only under unprecedented…
My friend, MMD Chief Bootlicker, I am a product of an education system in the Kaunda days. At Form Five we used to have Cambridge Examinations set in Cambridge, England. They arrived in Zambia completely sealed and were only opened in the exam room. The exams started and ended at exactly the same time in the entire country. The majority of our teachers were foreigners, including English, Irish, Canadians, South Africans, Indians, Pakistanis, etc. They were also invigilators. My own Headmaster was an Englishman, a no nonsense man. The words ‘examination leakages’ were never heard of and were never in our vocabulary. These exam leakages started showing their ugly faces when we started Zambianising the education sector and cut off linkages to Cambridge. Zambians took charge and everything…
There were no leakages during Cambridge School certificate exams in the 50s, 60s and 70s. People respected the muzungu so much they were scared of breaching his rules. The moment ZEC came in and Africans could see other Africans in charge of the examinations the respect disappeared and they started bribing each other for a ‘small leak for my son” my brother. Things went crazy. This is actually the problem with african development in general. The moment the muzungu left us the discipline went out of the window and we cant do anything by ourselves
Life under pf. How do u commend people when they have failed to avoid a disaster ? It’s like people being killed because of your negligence e.g vespas and then after wards commending the pf police for refraining from throwing tear gas. The pf are sleeping because there should have already been strategies put in place to avoid this matter. This is very serious issue and the minister is meant to resign on moral grounds.howvwe the ldiot just like lungu will continue dancing in that position. A reactive government which only reacts to disaster and not proactive to.avoid disaster in first place
Give us a solution to avoid leaks aisha.
If u5 became president by some kind of magic, how will you his think tanks manage the system
We have a problem in this country.Listen to this Its political.
When your president encouraged corruption through ububomba mwibala principle did you hear him exempting teachers?It is bad enough for a leader to think and talk like that,do you care to imagine how medical practitioners have taken it,civil servants and others.In short that irresponsible statement seems to have been obeyed,we have never had leakages on a scale that necessitates cancellation of exams,so live out opposition here,and i agree with others this minister is supposed to be fired.
As for the exams,PF please for once think,consult,how do you cancel all the papers?You dont have much time to do the right think
Always have two papers set by two different directorates, one under Examinations Council of Zambia and the other under Ministry of Education curriculum development center. These two should never interact and the ministry should never reveal which papers will be used. Lets just keep trying until these thieves of exams are defeated
Comment:so is it true that the grade nines will start writing next year in March?
Some PS with forged PHDs and doctorates is still working in government despite the expose and you expect this same government to fight leakages of exams. Forget, It all walter….
Why government behaving as if they don’t really know what usually happens, because this leakage started a long time ago pupils have passed exams with 6 points especially in this generation because of the same. Please let these children write their exams!!!
At what stage is exam leaked.
Once you have the answer then only can you solve the riddle
These papers come through teachers but at what stage does a teacher get full papers.
Who prints these papers
These are the fruits of a corrupt and greedy culture. Now everyone wants “Kudyamo” in everything and everywhere. God help us to overcome this demon of corruption and greed.
HH and his UPND are the ones behind the leakage of exams to give the impression that the mighty PF has failed to run the country and that Halusa Hagain will sort it out.
There you go always have to blame some one else for your failures, cant this party of goons ever take responsibility for any thing, the other day I was reading some PS blaming theft by civil servants on the opposition, really this just shows no plan things are just to complicated for you, running a country is not the same as digging for residuals on black mountain
Yes I was shocked to see some minister heap all blame on the opposition. Their strategy is that whatever failure they have they blame it on the opposition, even the year we had a drought, they said it was opposition. But of course I doubt the intellectual abilities of this chiteme guy so I did not take him seriously. PF need to start working now.
Johnny – Unfortunately the Opposition will always raise suspicions because of their wholesale negativity and their desire to see Zambia fail at every opportunity.
The problem is UPND cadres who are civil servants. They are using everything to discredit the government and the people of Zambia as a whole.
ZIALE is part of leakeges in order for them to justify lobbing students.
HH is embarrassing us day in day out. Universities in have been down graded. All because HH wants to rule. He should also tell the international community about the money he has stolen and put in off shore accounts. Hopeless Tonga Man!
If someone outside GRZ is able to affect the country’s affair, he deserves to rule because those entrusted to rule have Zero influence…A leader without influence whether positive or negative is not a leader.
IN ANY SANE FUNCTIONING NON FAILED STATE, UNLIKE CHAKOLWA’S ZAMBIA, THIS MINISTER WOULD HAVE RESIGNED WITHOUT BEING ASKED, & thats the reason these things can happen BUT don’t get endemic like in Zambia where mediocrity is highly applauded.
3 months ago a failure of a “minister” declared Black Mountain safe, & days later disaster struck, Presidential advisors swearing,.& boxing opponents, & later a student teargassed to death & no action by the Drunken one who’s focused on plunder, travel, & 2021.
WE ARE REALLY A FAILED B0MB@ MWIBALA REPUBLIC!
Suspend the entire Council
so sad that we have teachers who are leaking exams.We are in trouble.these teachers used leakages to pass.
Awe takwaba guys we are busy destroying this great nation called Zambia.
Please please let the 7th Grade children sit as scheduled. Why don’t you punish the offenders and let the rest write. . Your decision is extremely uncalled for and inconsiderate. This decision equals to a CHOLERA OUT BREAK. National Disaster.. Why not deal with your CIVIL SERVANTS INVOLVED IN THIS? AM DEEPLY STRESSED. Do you know the Psychological trauma and other inconveniences this has caused to many children and their parents? Not everyone is rich enough or insecure enough to use leakages. LET THE CHILDREN(7TH GRADE) SIT FOR THEIR EXAMINATIONS AS SCHEDULED. HAVE REASONABLE KIND HEARTS AND SOULS? DO YOU MEN AND WOMEN IN POWER HAVE CHILDREN WHO ARE DOING THEIR EDUCATION IN ZAMBIA?
Zwg can help deal if they tell us who gave them the paper
If zwd fails to do so then its upendi civil servants in charge of these papers trying to destroy this country
Arrest hamasaka Clayton and zyambo owners of the dogs that published exam papers.
This is sabotage
Set new papers now. Do not suspend until Jesus come back as an excuse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jesus will have his own examinations so why suspend until then?
does it mean a grade seven pupils in Kaputa has leakages? The problem is that the Minister thinks Lusaka is Zambia and Zambia is Lusaka… If there are crooks in Lusaka, there are no crooks in Luapula or Western provinces……
Bwane do u think a grade seven pupil in katunda can have leakages? in rural places a teacher is respected …… not in towns…. Many teachers act in a honest manner…..
Oh has the Minister have a child in these government schools?
Comment:I can’t believe what is going on in our country. First of all I need to understand one thing, for the examination has been suspended the minister is he going to add term four or what?
Though embarrassing, the move is long overdue. Leakage culture as been with us from as early as 2000 especially in Lusaka. The leakage is now so advanced that certain institution are using invigilators to aid the candidates with support from subject teachers. Subjects teachers are given a smuggled paper at the beginning of the examinations and after the paper has been answered, the subject teachers gives the paper to the invigilator who goes round helping candidates. Before examinations, students are asked to contribute some money for the corrupt invigilators and subject teachers. Even with or without leaked paper, there is an inside corrupt system.
The country started becoming abnormal in 2006. We did not notice the impact until much later when the tri.balists started getting bolder and more daring. In parliament their MPs even shed false tears as victims of what they call victimisation.
2006 is indeed a cursed year for Zambia.
the entire ecz should be disbanded they are a bunch of criminals they are a bunch of thieves they are a bunch of shameless liar’s
So now the big question is: What did we used to do some 30 years ago that we are failing to do now?
Kindly step down education minister, including those who matter in the process.
Commended? This sounds like you re happy coz you ll be given a deal to reprint. More money in your pockets right?
This minster must step down ,he knew that this would happen since its been a trend for the past 20 years .what system did he put in place to stop this mess…
so does it seem that the pupils go to*** watching one of the episode on smooth talk the author for exam made easy said of cause leakages are always there. So why doesnt govt come with measures to stop these?cant they even have a plan B in place? if leakages are there,it tell you that even when there is an election some contesting candidates get the results even before they are published that’s why they never bother to attend pre elections debates to explain how best they are going work once they are voted in office. anyway twikala pa Zed.
Exam leakage is surely another form of corruption/bribery because at the end of the day, money definitely changes hands. It’s really immoral for society to sink so low as to bribe a teacher or whoever is in position of presiding/ overseeing the printing and securing of exam papers in Zambia. No wonder we produced half-baked graduates at times because the calibre of grade 12 pupils who obtain 6 points fail to prove that they really passed their grade 12 with flying colours. They fail to understand basic educational lessons and even just grammar. What a state of affairs in Zambia today!
What quick action. These guys had no idea as to what was going on until they saw the paper on watchdog. So it’s actually the watchdog that the council should have commended for bringing the leak to the attention of government.
That’s what we are missing
Suspend the Minister indefinitely immediately.
After writing in 2019 March when are pupils going to start learning? will it be in term 2 or term 1and how can they delay even grade 7 does g 7 also use leakage be careful ba get.
It’s easy for us to judge and kill we need to learn how to understand
It’s quite disappointing the with carelessness of ECZ it’s a shame