Minister happy with std seven examinations

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Monday October 11, 2010 00:00

This was despite calls from teachers unions discouraging members of the public and teachers from participating in invigilation.

However, teachers unions which have been calling on teachers and members of the public to sabotage the exams say the real problems should be expected from begins today as Form Five examinations start.

The Form Five examinations start this morning with Statistics Paper 12 and History Paper One in the afternoon. A repetition of the problems that characterised the home economics practicals might be expected tomorrow (Tuesday) during the Chemistry practical tests which also require a teacher to be present although the students also have an option to write the alternative to the practical at the same time.

English Literature will follow on Tuesday afternoon, with Statistics Paper 22 and the History Paper 2 coming on Wednesday. Social Studies Paper 1, Sociology Paper 12 and Computer Studies will be written on Thursday, while Religious Education and Development Studies will be written on Friday. Junior secondary school examinations start on October 25 with the English Paper 4 and French papers.

Secondary school teachers union (BOSETU) executive secretary, Justin Hunyepa, says all 28 senior secondary schools refused to cooperate with the permanent secretary and refused to hand over marks for course work subjects including Agriculture, Home Economics, Pure Sciences, Art, Design and Technology and Business Studies.The education ministry has not refuted this union claim.

During the just concluded Std Seven exams however the minister says there was near failure at only five primary schools where school heads somersaulted on their pledge to cooperate.

She says the exams at those schools were delayed by two hours and that no pupil wrote the exams in the middle of the night as it is alleged.

However, Botswana Teachers Union secretary general, Ibo Kenosi, was hesitant when asked to say whether he is happy that the Standard Sevens have successfully completed their examinations.

Kenosi says they have always wanted the pupils to write the examinations with the help of their teachers and blamed the entire fracas on the Botswana Examinations Councils's dishonesty when negotiating with the unions.

Venson-Moitoi says five students did not write for reasons not related to the unions. One wrote from a hospital bed in Molepolole. 'Overall the exams were very successful,' she said.

'Intimidation is heaviest at secondary schools where a larger number of school heads, deputies and teachers have said they will not invigilate.

In all of those cases sufficient numbers of volunteers have been deployed with the necessary back up. Rumours of sabotage by some teachers have been reported as computers were tempered with in some schools,' the minister added.

BTU and its sister union, BOSETU, have been running adverts calling on members of the public to refuse to enlist for invigilation and the marking of the examinations.

However, Kenosi of BTU says that he is certain that over 80 percent of the school heads did heed the unions' call to frustrate the ministry.

He notes that all the primary schools might have written the Std 7s. 'We are not yet sure about that. We are still doing our own investigations, but we know that over 80percent of the school heads did not cooperate with the ministry,' says Kenosi.

Kenosi also said the first day of the Std 7 examinations was a disaster until the BEC ferried their invigilators to the affected schools at the eleventh hour.

He adds the new P160 invigilation fee, a more than 500% increase from the previous P28 per hour, might have attracted the public and some teachers.

Kenosi also says officials from Education International, a global trade union of teachers, are in Gaborone at the invitation of the unions to see the chaotic situation during the exams.