MESD must crack the whip at BEC

Mmegi Editor | Monday October 23, 2023 06:00

Already, there are allegations that some people were very reckless in handling the leaked examinations papers until they landed on wrong hands. There is a valid reason why after many years and months of studies, students do sit for examinations.

It is purely an effort to test the proficiency of students. Examinations generally provide a gateway into future opportunities to tertiary institutions. They are a pre-requisite for admission to tertiary institutions and they determine the future of the students. The final examinations reflect the most accurate level of knowledge each student carries off from taking classes.

But, more than the overall class grade throughout the year, it is vital for students to have an opportunity to learn their proficiency within the field of study and their interest in continuing to learn the subject. Recent reports that some Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) examination papers were leaked before sitting, raises fears about the credibility of the country’s examinations system. The reason for leaking such papers is also a worrying development that needs to be nipped in the bud before the practice is spread widely. However, a report that some people have been arrested and placed under investigation provides hope for positive development.

We hope the investigation will possibly provide a hint of the actual intention of the leakers of the examinations papers. We believe that examinations cannot be leaked just for fun. There must be a valid reason for that. Confronted by a problem of examinations leakage, BEC had to postpone the sitting of examinations, which has been so disruptive to the students’ preparations as examinations are not simply an event but a process that encompasses thorough preparations amongst others. It goes without saying that students’ preparations have been put to a waste, as a postponement of two weeks will affect the whole examinations planning.

It will not come as a surprise that some students might fail the 2023 BGCSE examinations because their preparations of both studying and sitting for the examinations have been tempered with. In future, we call upon the authorities to exercise care and due diligence in the handling of examinations papers as the credibility of BEC and the whole examinations regime could crumble at an instant. It will be ideal for BEC and stakeholders to go public on its findings of the investigations to allay fears already gripping the nation about the examinations leakage.

Today’s thought

“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardour and diligence.” -Abigail Adams