Exams leave students in tears

CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer | Wednesday October 27, 2010 00:00

 

Reports state that the reading varied, from one headmaster using a public address system, temporary invigilators not comfortable with the reading part resulting in a one hour delay, to students requesting the temporary invigilators to repeat the passage four times because they did not grasp anything from the reading.

Despite all these reports, BEC public relations officer, Charles Keikotlhae yesterday said that nothing out of the ordinary was reported on the English paper. He stated that the temporary invigilators are engaged in a week-long training on invigilation conducted by BEC officers.

He explained that they are aware of the people who are intent on destabilising the examinations. 'The Monday paper has gone as well as expected,' he said.

In the English Paper 4, BEC rules state that all English teachers have to be present when their students are in rehearsals. The English teachers are also required to read the passage to the students, failure of which someone whose voice they are familiar with should read.

The exam should be conducted in an environment where the students can hear properly. Instead of the school hall the exam is usually conducted in classrooms.  The English teachers, as invigilators, are expected to satisfy themselves by working with the school head or deputy school head 30 minutes before the exam starts to have an understanding of the passage, agree on the same speed that is comfortable for all who would be reading, the speed and the pronunciation of different words.

However reports from the schools reveal that at Dithejwane Junior Secondary School in Molepolole students came out of the exam rooms in tears as they related stories of not being given plain papers to take notes on during the reading of the comprehension, to not being given enough time to look at the questions before the passage was read.

At Lebogang Junior Secondary School in Selebi-Phikwe the school head assembled the students in the school hall and read the passage using a PA system.

At Maoka Junior Secondary School in Gaborone the passage was reportedly read four times instead of just once. The students are reported to have requested the repetitions because they did not hear properly what was being read. They are also reported to have said they were later requested not to reveal what had transpired.

From Letlhabile Junior School in Tonota the examination was reportedly delayed by an hour as the invigilators revealed that they were not comfortable with the reading part.