BEC investigates Form 5 exams leakage?

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Sunday May 19, 2013 00:00

 

The probe is said to have delayed the release of the 2012 Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education results. The council's mouthpiece, Charles Keikotlhae, who is unaware of the exam leaks and any investigation said the results will be out before the end of February but could not give a specific date.

'Maybe the information has not been sent to us (public relations office) due to it being preliminary, I am not aware of that,' Keikotlhae said in an interview, adding that he was in Francistown for the education minister's consultative meetings. He asked the nation to have patience and allow BEC to do its job diligently and effectively.  However, sources yesterday revealed that the results were to be released last Friday, but the probe on the alleged exam leakage at some centres (one in Francistown and two others in Gaborone) reversed that. The exceptionally good results registered by these centres for the first time in history coupled with an eyebrow-raising pattern of the candidates' responses lead to this investigation.

Sources close to the examination body said these candidates arranged their answers exactly like they were put in the marking keys. Furthermore, the centres are reported to have done extremely well beating traditional top performers like Naledi Senior Secondary School. 'Now the council is running up and down trying to investigate the matter, and who could have leaked the papers,' one of the sources said.

It is suspected that someone within the Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) division at BEC might have passed on the exam paper, as it is the only department with access to all the exams. All along the chain of exam production did not involve the ICT department but last year they were roped in. The exams were set, then the marking key would be prepared and the papers taken to the typesetters, but last year the papers were sent to the ICT division for security reasons apparently.

In addition to the conventional school examinations, BEC offers examination services to private centres which admit candidates who re-write exams to improve their grades. In 2012, the following administered the BGSCE; Gaborone Private Centre, Tsholofelo Private Centre, Lobate Private Centre, Palapye Private Centre, Serowe Private Centre, Selebi-Phikwe Private Centre, Tlokweng Private Centre, Francistown Private Centre, Lesedi Private Centre, Mahalapye Private Centre, Naledi Private Centre, Woodhall Private Centre, Babusi Private Centre, Kasane Private Centre, Kang Private Centre, Maun Private Centre, Letlhakane Bocodol, Francistown Private Centre (Bocodol) and Gaborone West Private Centre.