CPE: Abdelbagi send warning shot against exam cheating
The Vice President and Chairperson of Service Delivery Cluster, Hussein Abdelbagi, has urged the examination supervisors to enforce strict examination rules that will guarantee the integrity of the exercise.
Addressing students on Monday in Buluk Model Primary School in Juba, to ring the bell for the commencement of the examination for the South Sudan Certificate of Primary Education 2023, Abdelbagi sent a harsh warning against examination malpractices, saying there will be dire consequences for those found guilty of cheating.
“I would like to remind you once again of examination malpractices,” he said. “As you are aware, in the past few days, our examination system and, by extension, the education system have been under serious credibility threats. Cheating in exams and other malpractices had taken root and were slowly becoming the norm.”
He said the Ministry of General Education and Instruction had made a huge effort last year to eliminate the outdated practise, but there should never be laxity.
“I call upon the teachers or supervisors to put in place stringent measures to ensure that the success achieved so far in primary examination administration is sustained, so that our certificates can be respected and honoured in our neighbouring region and beyond,” he said.
Abdelbagi said he expects that the Ministry of Education will keep bolstering the quality assurance systems that track and assess every aspect of the country’s exam-related operations.
“This is to guarantee quality control throughout and to ensure that, as a nation, we carry out examinations in accordance with both minimum and maximum international standards.”
He counselled the candidates to be confident in such a significant examination of their educational path with honesty and confidence.
The vice president claimed to have heard of instances in which cheating involved whole school, where students answered questions correctly and wrongly in same ways.
“This is how an organized and protected malpractice and its incumbent upon Ministry of Education to thoroughly investigate and prosecute elements involved,” he said.
“I hereby direct taking serious measures including cancelation of examination and prosecution of any custodian caught aiding and abetting cheating during examinations.”
President Salva Kiir gave key government ministries instructions in February to guarantee free elementary and secondary education for all citizens.
The directive was a positive step, given that 2. 8 million South Sudanese children of school age do not attend classes according to the Ministry of Education in the country.
Akol encouraged students to prioritize their schooling.
“I would like to advise you as aspiring secondary school students to benefit from the free elementary and secondary education that H.E. President Salva Kiir declared early this year,” he said
The National Examinations Council administers the CPE, which evaluates pupils’ understanding and acceptance of the primary school curriculum.
