By Jensen Brian Abass Cummings
School Exams Are More Credible and Reliable Than Public Exams in Sierra Leone
As a lecturer in tertiary institutions and having supervised teaching practice students in various secondary and sometimes primary schools around Sierra Leone, I have come to the conclusion that school-based examinations, such as those conducted at the end of each term, are more credible and reliable than the national public exams, including the National Primary School Examination (NPSE), the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), and the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Reasons Why School Exams Are More Credible and Reliable
Independent Exam Administration Principals or school proprietors personally oversee the administration of school exams, ensuring that exam questions are not leaked. This direct involvement in the examination process enhances the integrity and credibility of the school exams.
Strict Monitoring and Prohibition of Phones During school exams, the use of phones is strictly prohibited and closely monitored. This ensures that students cannot access unauthorized information or communicate with others during the exam, maintaining the exam’s integrity.
Manageable Student Numbers The smaller student population in schools allows for closer supervision and monitoring. Any form of malpractice is more easily detected and dealt with promptly, ensuring a fair assessment environment.
Teachers’ Ownership of Subjects Teachers are deeply invested in the subjects they teach and are committed to their students’ success. This dedication motivates teachers to maintain high standards and ensure that students earn their grades through genuine effort and understanding.
Identification of Brilliant and Hardworking Students Teachers, having closely monitored their students throughout the term, can easily identify those who are hardworking and brilliant. This familiarity helps them to predict and validate the outcomes of the exams, making any form of dishonesty easily noticeable.
Prohibition of social media – The strict prohibition of social media during school exams further ensures that students cannot share or receive information that could compromise the integrity of the examination process.
Minimal Bribery There is little to no bribery involved in the administration of school exams. Teachers and invigilators are motivated by professional ethics and the desire to uphold the standards of their institution.
Rigorous Monitoring by School Authorities School authorities are highly vigilant during exam periods, ensuring that all regulations are strictly followed. This rigorous monitoring helps to maintain a high standard of credibility and reliability in school exams.
Contrasting with Public Exams
In contrast, the public examination system in Sierra Leone suffers from several significant issues that undermine its credibility and reliability:
Financial Exploitation of Parents During public exams like the NPSE and BECE, there is a tendency for schools to solicit funds from parents ostensibly to facilitate success in these exams. This practice can lead to unethical behavior and undermines the integrity of the exams.
Strategic Selection of Exam Centers Schools often choose exam centers where they believe they can receive external assistance, compromising the fairness of the public exam process.
Teacher Assistance during Exams It is not uncommon for teachers to assist students during public exams, either through direct intervention or by providing answers, which severely undermines the credibility of these exams.
Dependence on Technology for cheating the use of mobile phones, particularly smartphones with WhatsApp, has become a common tool for cheating during public exams. This reliance on technology facilitates widespread malpractice.
Pre-Exam Leakage Exam papers are often leaked days before the actual exam date, allowing students to access the questions and prepare answers in advance. This leakage is a significant threat to the integrity of public exams.
Delayed and Insufficient Payments to Invigilators and examiners are often poorly compensated and experience significant delays in payment. This financial instability can lead to corruption and compromised exam standards.
Monetary Focus over Academic Preparation Students are more likely to invest in obtaining a mobile phone for cheating purposes rather than dedicating time and resources to thorough academic preparation.
Misuse of Night Classes Night classes, which should be used for final revisions, are now often sessions where students wait for leaked exam papers rather than focusing on legitimate study and preparation.
The discrepancies between the administration of school exams and public exams highlight a critical issue within Sierra Leone’s educational system. The credibility and reliability of public exams have been significantly compromised by various forms of malpractice, often facilitated by modern technology and financial incentives.
Recommendations
To improve the integrity of public exams in Sierra Leone, it is essential to:
Enhance Monitoring and Supervision: Implement stricter monitoring and supervision during public exams to prevent malpractice.
Ban Mobile Phones: Enforce a ban on the use of mobile phones during public exams to curb cheating.
Improve Teacher and Invigilator Compensation: Ensure timely and adequate compensation for invigilators and examiners to reduce the temptation of corruption.
Promote Ethical Standards: Foster a culture of integrity and ethical behavior among students, teachers, and school administrators.
Invest in Technology Security: Utilize secure technologies to prevent the leakage of exam papers and ensure the confidentiality of exam materials.
By addressing these issues, the credibility and reliability of public exams in Sierra Leone can be significantly improved, aligning them more closely with the higher standards observed in school-based examinations.
Copyright –Published in print in Expo Times Newspaper on Friday, June 14th , 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)
