For the first time in the life of school exams in Papua New Guinea (PNG), police will monitor the national grades eight (8), ten (10) and twelve (12) exams over the next three (3) weeks.
The engagement of the police is to provide security for invigilators (teachers who supervise exams) and to crack down on cheating and bribery.
Education Minister Jimmy Uguro, when announcing the extraordinary intervention, said over 200,000 students are expected to sit for the exams all over the country.
Several policemen from the Special Services Division (SSD) are now traveling into several provinces around the country including Morobe, Madang, Eastern Highlands, Southern Highlands and Hela as they assist invigilators and other Education officials carry out their duties during three weeks of examinations.
In recent years, PNG has experienced an unprecedented rise in cheating scandals from several schools across the country as as such the inclusion of police is a way to deter such activities from being carried out.
Mr Uguro said that cheating cheating during the examinations would not be tolerated with students warned to be mindful as they sit for their exams.
While we do not wish to include police officers in such activities, the safety of the invigilators and Education staff is of paramount importance, people will do anything to ensure their child goes into university, however we want to be done the right way and not through bribery and cheating.
Education Minister Jimmy Uguro
The warning comes after several schools in Western Highlands in 2019 saw over 400 students not certified because of cheating. And several more schools in the years that have followed have seen students cheating in schools across the country. All of the students in the three grades have been warned to not cheat during the examination with the National Examination Board (NEB) implementing strict rules while students are sitting for the exams.
Mr Uguro said that while he wishes the students the best of luck in their examinations, he wanted all the students to know that cheating will not be tolerated and will be severe consequences to the actions taken by any student.
If anyone is found to be cheating, they will be severely penalized and cheating is an attitude that is unfair, and cannot be allowed to continue. Those found to be cheating on any of the days for the three grades will be banned from continuing the exams, and we will be reporting and illegal activities and practices found to be carried out during the examination process.
Mr Uguro
Mr Uguro said the warning was not only for the students but for the teachers and other help around the schools who were assisting with cheating.
They will be dealt with by police.
If you are found cheating, the only penalty we will give is you are not going to be certified. No student and school will be certified if they are caught cheating.
Uguro
Teachers will be terminated and will never teach again Minister Uguro said.
If teachers are found to have assisted in cheating and bribery, they will be banned from teaching, Uguro iterated. He also said students found cheating will be referred to the National Education Board and appropriate action taken.
Minister Uguro also took time to wish the students best of luck and urged them to do their best.
I want to wish all students the best in the exams today and I challenge them to do their best for themselves and their families and for the country.
Today the 200,000 students from over 3,000 schools in the country will sit for the papers with grade 10s commencing the start of the examinations and will conclude on Friday (October 14th). On October 17th, the grade 12s start and end on Friday October 21st.
The third and final week will see grade 8s commence their exams on Monday October 24th and end on Friday October 27th.
One comment
Comments are closed.