Africa-Press – Zambia. Eleven teachers have been suspended for engaging in examination malpractice, and the Examination Council of Zambia – ECZ Director Michael Chilala disclosed that the nine teachers are from Mpongwe District while the other two are from Chilanga District.
Dr. Chilala explained that there are cases of teachers that have been assisting candidates in the 2022 examinations and this has been confirmed in Mpongwe District, where the invigilators, supervisors and other teachers are involved, which brings the total number of those involved to nine, and they have all been placed on suspension as investigations are still on going.
“Teachers in Mpongwe were charging 150 Kwacha to assist each pupil per subject,” he said
Dr. Chilala mentioned that the nine in Mpongwe also include the Head Teacher and a Deputy Head Teacher who have also been suspended for engaging in exam malpractice.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chilala said in an interview that the two from Chilanga are the Head Teacher and the Deputy Head Teacher. Dr. Chilala noted that in Chilanga District the two were planning to engage in malpractice in the grade nine examinations that are scheduled to start next week.
“We also came across a case of planned involvement of grade nine examination which are starting on the 24th of November, 2022, and once we got the information, we quickly moved in to change the administrators of the school in Chilanga, we are a situation where in these two schools, the Head Teachers and Deputy Head Teachers have been moved,” Dr. Chilala said
Dr. Chilala has since urged parents and guardians not to support such activities, and to refrain from offering to pay for their children to be assisted when writing the exam.
And the Teacher Unions have described the situation as unfortunate, with the Zambia National Union of Teachers -ZNUT- Acting General Secretary Catherine Chinunda urging the teachers to refrain from engaging in malpractice and maintain the credibility of the exams.
Ms Chinunda added that she is concerned with this vise and has since urged teachers to maintain professionalism in their line of work. “Can those Headmasters and teachers stop what they are doing, as malpractice is a chargeable offence that can make them lose their employment, they are killing the nation,” she said
And Secondary Schools Teachers Union of Zambia General Secretary Sitibekiso Wamuyuwa said any Teachers that will decide to go against the law and engage in malpractice will not have the support of the Union.
“We want to be professional, by making sure that we uphold the ethics, hence, those who decide to behave in such a manner will have themselves to blame as the Union will stand on the side of the law,” he said
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