(This article was first published in the New Vision on November 2, 2022)
Extinguishing vice with the number of arrests over examination malpractice in the ongoing Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) papers rising, Agnes Kyotalengerire sought views from actors in the education sector about the current exam malpractice punishment regime.
Patrick Kaboyo, technical advisor at the Education Advocacy Network
Every school has got core values, and I do not think there is any that has cheating exams as one of the values. So, by cheating, schools go against their own values. The board of governors who supervise schools are responsible. The chair of the school management committee should be held accountable if a primary school is involved in cheating. If it is a secondary school, the chairperson of the board of governors takes the blame. Examination malpractice is an indicator of a governance breakdown. The laws have not been holding those responsible to account. But the UNEB Act should now be able to protect innocent children and place the responsible people at the scene of the crime.
Godfrey Busobozi, national chairperson of the Coalition of Private Teachers’ Associations and Unions
Examination malpractice should be looked at holistically, so that we can find the source of the problem and apportion blame. The malpractice can start, for example, from the negligence of UNEB by having the examination parcel opened before the examination papers have reached the school. It could be the Police conniving with other people to leak the exams during storage or the invigilators who fail to perform their supervisory role and impostors get into the examination room. The school could also arrange for a teacher to enter the examination hall and lecture. It could also be a child who had prior access to the paper and has written all the answers on their body. Punishing children alone is unfair because it lets the others who are part of the cheating chain go scot-free. For examination malpractice to happen there has to be someone who slept on the job.
Jackline Nyambogo, headteacher of Ogenda Girls High School, Pakwach
I blame the school because it means they did not prepare and build confidence in the learners to believe in themselves. But the learners should also be blamed for a lack of preparation. The learners are supposed to know 25% of the content through research. When you learn through your own research you understand better and easily remember what you learnt.
Filbert Baguma, general secretary of Uganda National Teachers’ Union
If the children produce the same work, the suspicion is that they shared work in the examination hall. Then the question that arises is: where was the invigilator when all that was happening? The invigilator is paid to oversee the examination process. The law should catch both the learners who cheated and the invigilator who was in the exam hall when the malpractice was taking place. We need to always trace the source and the people responsible should face the law.
Dr Lawrence Eron, dean of the Faculty of Special Needs and Rehabilitation at Kyambogo University Administratively, the person who is charged with managing the institution is its accounting officer. The headteacher plays administrative and functional roles and is responsible for all actions that happen at a school. A case of exam malpractice should be properly documented and reported. The students should not be held responsible alone. Action should also be taken against those who aid cheating
Leonida Kababitto, Headteacher of Kawaruju Primary School, Kyenjojo district
The UNEB officials who supervise the candidates in the exam halls should be penalised. They are trained and have rules and regulations for conducting exams.
Jennifer Kalule, UNEB principal public relations officer
The exam regulations are clear and are written on the timetable. If candidates get involved in malpractice, they are primarily responsible.
This time around the timetable was released early to allow parents and learners to read the regulations. The candidates have to know. That is why we brief them before sitting examinations.
Getting involved in malpractice can lead to the cancellation of all your results. We do not just cancel the results. The candidates are given a fair hearing. If the candidates convince the tribunal that they are innocent, the charges get dropped. In some cases, a UNEB centre number can be suspended. But a number of things have to be looked at before this is done, because, if a centre is closed, some students will have no place to sit exams. We have to protect the integrity of our exam certificates if something goes wrong, they should be held to account. If a student got the paper before the exam, it is important to understand the source of that paper. The examiners should always try to understand the source of the exam cheating problem.
Signs Of Things Gone Wrong
Examination malpractice has been happening in this country for a long time. The wrongdoing reflects the level of corruption that exists in this country. Children should not be blamed. The adults should be held accountable.
Cissy Kagaba, former Anti-Corruption Coalition Uganda head
Not Their Fault Always
Sometimes the children’s exam results get cancelled but this is wrong because they are innocent. It is the school leaders who are supposed to be punished instead. It is the school leadership that should be blamed for exam cheating.
Ketty Driciru, teacher at Arua Public Primary School
