ECZ clamps down on exam leakages

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 12:00:13 +0000

By MUKOSELA KASALWE

STRIGENT measures have been put in place which will see a significant reduction in examination leakages and malpractice, says Examination Council of Zambia director Michael Chilala.

Dr Chilala said ECZ has invested in innovations through information communication technology as one of the ways to help curb the activity.

He said on ZNBC television programme Sunday Interview that the institution had introduced new systems such as online registration of candidates as well as using one examination number from Grade 7 to 12 as a way of monitoring and tracing the academic profile of candidates.

He said the use of ICTs by candidates would help ECZ save money in terms of using paper.

Dr Chilala said examination leakages mainly occurred through theft of examination materials by unscrupulous people who attacked trucks ferrying examination papers or breaking into strong rooms where examination papers were kept especially in rural areas but stated that security measures have been heightened to reduce the scourge.

He said impersonation was another challenge where candidates would collude with another person with apparent knowledge of an invigilator to write an examination for them but reiterated that thorough scrutiny was done where a single candidate who had submitted two different hand writing scripts was caught, hence nullifying her or his candidature.

“We are moving with new trends in terms of curbing examination leakage and malpractice by introducing innovations in ICTs and ensuring we continue adhering to security standards of guarding examination materials,’’ he said.

He said examination leakage was more rampant at Grade 9 level and cited one of the reasons it being the entry point to Grade 12 and for tertiary as well as employment opportunity.

He said ECZ had last year recordered an examination free-leakage at Grades 7, 9 and 12.

Dr Chilala said in a situation where a theft of examination materials had occurred in a particular area the authority would run a parallel paper depending on the gravity of the situation.

He said ECZ was determined to stamp out examination leakage as well as malpractice and appealed to the public to report such acts.