Staff Reporter
THE Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture insists that results for the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO) new and the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS) new levels will be released on the dates intended prior to the examination paper leak saga.
This was spelled out by the education ministry in a three-page statement, dated Friday 3 December, which sought to further clarify their position on the leakage.
According to the ministry, although learners will be writing in January 2022, resources will be allocated to ensure that the results are out on initial planned dates.
“Thus, the Grade 11 cohort of 2021 will still begin their Advanced Subsidiary (AS) classes as planned,” said the ministry.
The statement further clarifies that had the education ministry chosen to allow grade 11 and 12 candidates to continue with the examinations in affected subjects, they would have been left with a certificate which is not accredited and which would not allow them access to further education and employment.
According to the ministry, it was in fact the accreditation committee of Cambridge International that took the stance that all the papers that have been leaked or compromised must be rewritten.
There was also a risk that the qualification might have lost its accreditation and recognition on the Namibia Qualifications Authority’s Framework (NQF).
The leakages in the examination question papers for the October/November 2021 include the NSSCO – legacy grade 12 and NSSCO – new grade 11.
Subsequently, papers that were not yet written were cancelled and those that were written will be re-written in January 2022.
“The NSSCO qualification is an internationally recognised qualification, which is accredited by Cambridge Assessment International Education. The Ministry has a legally binding contract with Cambridge International to ensure that credible examinations are administered that will lead to the awarding of school leaving certificates that are accredited by Cambridge International,” the ministry said.
According to the ministry, at the onset, when the leakage of the first subject was discovered, they were of the opinion that if it could be contained in the areas where it was detected, rewrite would not have been necessary and internal checks and control measures would have been used.
However, as investigations revealed further leakages, and that it could not be contained to a specific school or region, Cambridge International took the decision for the affected papers in specific subjects to be rewritten.
A total of 10 suspects have since been apprehended, of which eight have been released on bail, while two foreign nationals are still in police custody. The ministry also announced the early closure of schools on Tuesday, due to the national exam paper leak.
“We need to understand in situations like this, where a leakage could not be contained but spilled over into many regions and gone viral with overwhelming evidence at our hands, this may lead to losing the accreditation which no education system can afford. The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture explored all possibilities of addressing the situation differently from cancelling and rewriting, since national examinations are governed by set rules, regulations and standards as part of the accreditation agreement it has become mandatory for us to take this decision,” said the ministry.
The ministry lastly reassured the public that the AS level and National Senior Secondary Certificate Higher level subjects are not impacted and these examinations are continuing as planned, together with all the other Ordinary level grade 12 and 11 (legacy and new) subjects that are not affected.
