Africa-Press – Eswatini. ECESWA has disqualified the results of over 130 pupils who sat the EGCSE examinations at Phumelele High School.
This is a private school situated in Matsapha, which was investigated for alleged malpractice, following the leaking of some of the components of the papers. According to the summary results, the school got a 58.54 pass rate. Over 130 learners sat for their examination at the centre and the matter is being handled by the courts. Results released by the Examinations Council of Eswatini (ECESWA) revealed that there were no results, which in their explanatory notes indicated that the result cannot be issued, because of absence for the whole part of the examination in the syllabus or because of a decision not to issue a result for some other reason.
Approached
According to pupils who approached this publication, they have been meant to run from pillar to post, adding that the school gave them a statement that showed no results in all the subjects and referred them to ECESWA for clarity and also told them to remark. “When we sought clarity at ECESWA, we were directed back to the school,” the learners stated.
They added that when they tried to approach their teachers at school to forge a way forward, they were told that the director of the school was out of the country and they were also yet to consult with him. According to the learners, they tried several times to contact the director, who told them that he was locked in meetings. The pupils said they requested the teachers at the school to arrange a meeting for them with the director in order to get clear information.
Meeting
However, they stated that they were told by one of the teachers that there was no need for a meeting, but anyone who had a challenge with results should approach the school to state their concerns. Sought for comment on the disqualification of the results, ECESWA Communications Officer Hlengiwe Ndlovu, said they were engaging with the centres on all examination-related matters. Ndlovu was further pressed that learners were in the dark and uncertain about their future and she advised that they should discuss with their school. When asked whether the school that leaked the examination papers was disqualified, she said they did not discuss such matters with third parties. Phumelele Director Sabelo Mavuso said he was currently out of the country and had scheduled a meeting with the affected pupils and their parents. A senior official in the Ministry of Education, who preferred to remain anonymous, suggested that the affected learners should visit the either the ministry or regional education offices (REO) to get answers.
Meanwhile, all EGCSE learners re-sat four papers, which were leaked during their examinations. EGCSE is an acronym for Eswatini General Certificate of Secondary Education, which is Form V. The decision to re-sit the exam followed consultations between ECESWA and Cambridge, who were responsible for accreditation of the exams in the country. The papers that were re-sat were Religious Education (RE) Papers I and II, Mathematics Papers III and IV, Physical Science Papers II and IV and SiSwati Paper III.
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