Lost keys delay exams at Omaruru high school

MISPLACED keys to the safe containing the exam papers for Grade 10 English and Grade 12 Accounting led to a delay of up to three hours before pupils could write the tests at an Omaruru school on Monday.

The delay not only caused frustration among pupils and teachers, but could also lead to an investigation into possible examination irregularities. According to sources, the pupils at SI !Gobs Secondary School were unable to start writing their exams on time because a teacher at the school had allegedly lost the key to the safe containing the exam papers.According to the school’s principal, Harold Clarke, the teacher informed him of the problem at 07h00.Pupils had to be in the exam halls by 07h30, and the exams were set to start at 08h00 countrywide.The exams were set to last until 09h30.”We immediately informed the regional office of the dilemma, and the kids were requested to remain in the examination venue until we were able to provide them with the papers,” Clarke told The Namibian yesterday.He said the keys were found at the teacher’s house about two hours later.The grade 10s started their test at about 10h20, while the grade 12s could only start at about 11h00.By this time, pupils at other schools had already finished their exams and could have leaked the questions to children at SI !Gobs.Some sources claimed that the Grade 12 pupils were allowed to leave the exam hall during break time at the school, which is at 10h30.Some were said to have called pupils at other schools on their cellphones during this period.Clarke denied these allegations.”The issue about the misplaced keys is quite correct, but these allegation are false.We are not permitted to allow any learners writing exams out of the venue until their tests are completed.This is to prevent any such irregularities.There is no way that these learners were outside making calls.The complainants probably saw other learners, who were not writing exams, outside making calls on their cellphones,” he explained.He also allayed fears that the delay could have affected the pupil’s performance in the tests.”If they were well prepared for the tests, the delay would not affect their performance,” he said.He said a report on the incident was submitted to the regional office in Swakopmund, in which it was indicated that the safe had been intact, and that all the exam papers were in place.Clarke added, however, that an investigation into the matter was pending.He said there would be an investigation into who made the “false allegations” about irregularities.The Deputy Director of Education in Erongo, Mark Jacobs, was not available for comment, although the incident was confirmed by his office.According to sources, the pupils at SI !Gobs Secondary School were unable to start writing their exams on time because a teacher at the school had allegedly lost the key to the safe containing the exam papers.According to the school’s principal, Harold Clarke, the teacher informed him of the problem at 07h00.Pupils had to be in the exam halls by 07h30, and the exams were set to start at 08h00 countrywide.The exams were set to last until 09h30.”We immediately informed the regional office of the dilemma, and the kids were requested to remain in the examination venue until we were able to provide them with the papers,” Clarke told The Namibian yesterday.He said the keys were found at the teacher’s house about two hours later.The grade 10s started their test at about 10h20, while the grade 12s could only start at about 11h00.By this time, pupils at other schools had already finished their exams and could have leaked the questions to children at SI !Gobs.Some sources claimed that the Grade 12 pupils were allowed to leave the exam hall during break time at the school, which is at 10h30.Some were said to have called pupils at other schools on their cellphones during this period. Clarke denied these allegations.”The issue about the misplaced keys is quite correct, but these allegation are false.We are not permitted to allow any learners writing exams out of the venue until their tests are completed.This is to prevent any such irregularities.There is no way that these learners were outside making calls.The complainants probably saw other learners, who were not writing exams, outside making calls on their cellphones,” he explained.He also allayed fears that the delay could have affected the pupil’s performance in the tests.”If they were well prepared for the tests, the delay would not affect their performance,” he said.He said a report on the incident was submitted to the regional office in Swakopmund, in which it was indicated that the safe had been intact, and that all the exam papers were in place.Clarke added, however, that an investigation into the matter was pending.He said there would be an investigation into who made the “false allegations” about irregularities.The Deputy Director of Education in Erongo, Mark Jacobs, was not available for comment, although the incident was confirmed by his office.