The Registrar of the GCE Board, Humphrey Ekema Monono has disclosed that as from next year the process of renewing GCE Markers will be intensified. The Registrar made this statement in Bamenda on his visit to all the six GCE marking centres in the north west region recently.
He said the renewal exercise from next year will take into consideration retirement, grades and other information gathered. He said some teachers bring wrong indices to get out of station allowances while some of them change their addresses from private to public school teachers, while home based markers give flimsy excuses to stay away.
The Registrar however noted that marking is not limited to public school teachers. Each school, he added should have at least two teachers in the marking and further pointed out that some technical education subjects do not have examiners in the public and private schools and as such, the Board should consider recruiting markers from the industry.
The Registrar said the renewal of the marking exercise is engraved in the statutes of the board. Renewing the marking panel by 5 % every year is very important. He said while regretting that some panels unfortunately have become monarchies difficult to go in and to come out. That is why there has been renewal because of increase scripts. In 2006 there were 3900 examiners, and 6500 in 2014 to be able to handle the increasing number of candidates.
The Registrar was in the North West to oversee marking in six centres to ensure that no malpractices go on. On marking, he said the markers must first make sure they qualify and there will always be calm when the Board listens to teachers needs and their advice is usually given attention over the years, reasons why the environment is peaceful and serene with teachers sharing knowledge with ease.
He encouraged teachers to continue to be assiduous and draw their attention to the expectations of the public. Monono said teachers should do their job well. With regards to teachers who are not classroom teachers but are taking part in the marking process, he said it is not a worry so long as they are of that discipline and academically honest, saying the panel is there to advise whether they measure up without which they are advised to withdraw.
He lamented that end of examination reports that go round the field are not being exploited by teachers because the same problems arise and has challenged them to change their methods and use new techniques to ensure sanity prevails in the process.
During the written phase where candidates were caught sleeping because they attended classes till about 5 am in the morning. He also got the impression that some questions had leaked. While advising parents to guard wards against such activities they warned school that if any of them is caught in such practices, that school will have to face the penalties of the GCE Board.
The problem Monono regretted about most is the psychological trauma candidates go through by attending 'toll gate classes'. On the release of the results on the internet and mobile services, he said “modern technology is there and we should exploit it anywhere in the country or out of the country. The result is not limited to those who have passed.
The number of candidates has increased more than three times and reading names of candidates who have passed would take more than three days”. No door has been closed to any media. He said “we are in a global village with technological advancement and we must use it resourceful.”
