GCE board registrar goes tough on examination malpractices

The Registrar of the Cameroon GCE Board, Sir Ekema Humphrey Monono has warned that tough sanctions await examinations fraudsters because exams are like money and do not like noise.

The Registrar was speaking to The Vanguard Newspaper in an exclusive chat in Bamenda. Sir Ekema Humphrey Monono who is on a working visit to the north west region to inspect the conduct of the ongoing GCE examinations said all is going on well in a calm, serene and smooth atmosphere.

According to the GCE Board Scribe, since human beings are ever seeking perfection, there is a possibility that some hitches might be recorded .He mentioned rain which is a natural phenomenon, but pinpointed the shortage of question papers in some centres, impersonation, entering the examination hall with pre-prepared material and above all the phenomenon of teachers lecturing students at odds hours up to 4 am in the night as major concerns.

Sir Ekema Humphrey Monono condemned these malpractices in very strong terms ,stating unequivocally that accommodation centres where children are kept up to 4 am in the name of teaching will be shut down while the teachers involved will be kicked out of the entire GCE exercise including marking of the scripts.

He regretted that some of these students who are mostly Ordinary Level Candidates end up not even writing the exams well because they fall into sleep. He continued that this unscrupulous behaviour causes psychological imbalance to the students and is very detrimental in their participation in the exams.

As far as the North West Region is concerned, Sir Ekema Humphrey Monono said the region alone sent in 69,875 candidates making it the highest in the country. Out of this number 34,000 are for the O/L while 20,000 are for the A/L because there are also candidates for BAC and GCE Technical. The Registrar added that the number of students taking the exams have increased geometrically, currently standing at 164,769 candidates across the national territory.

Given this huge increase, the GCE Board Registrar said there is need for an increment in the financing of exams. He said the country’s problems are also the problems of the individuals because when there is a higher need there is the need for more money .It is on this note that he moved to address the issue of payment of teachers who mark the exams. According to Monono, he and his office are doing their utmost best to satisfy the teachers.

He continued that government is more than ready to listen to the problems of the GCE examiners .He acknowledged that though money is never enough, what will be made available shall be used very judiciously. He said the usual subvention is still being awaited but remained optimistic that it will be made available by the competent authorities on record time.

The Registrar said the written part of the examinations is soon coming to an end and that practical’s will continue soon thereafter. He encouraged all concerned to put in all the required effort given that it is quite a challenging exercise .He revealed that since academic material and marking guides have been harmonized, the teachers will be able to go back to their various schools with material that can enable them sharpen the skills of the students .

He concluded by expressing satisfaction that after visiting several accommodation centres across the North West region, the atmosphere is calm, serene smooth and pacific. While expressing the wish that one day all the candidates sitting in for the exams could pass and give the GCE Board 100%, he said all stakeholders should be very responsible because examinations are like money which does not like noise.