THE Secondary School Teachers Union of Zambia (SESTUZ) has called on the Ministry of Education and its stakeholders to restore the credibility of Zambia’s education system.
SESTUZ General Secretary, Anthony Mukanda says Zambia’s education system faces an integrity crisis due to widespread malpractices, particularly in the General Certificate of Education (GCE) examination model.
He states that according to a recent survey conducted by the Union Research Bureau exposed the alarming extent of examination malpractices in the country.
Mr Mukanda attributed this to inadequate tuition mechanisms, which leaves 90% of candidates ill-prepared for examination.
ZANIS reports that Mr Mukanda was speaking during a press briefing held in Lusaka.
“The survey, conducted in June, covered twenty urban and sixteen rural GCE centers, gathering insights from administrators, teachers, graduates, police officers, parents, and standard officers,” Mr Mukanda said.
Mr Mukanda added that rural centers emerged as primary perpetrators of malpractices, eroding the trust in the education system and devaluing academic qualifications.
He highlighted that examination malpractices foster inequity, unfairness, and incompetence, as individuals who cheat gain advantages in university admissions and employment.
Mr Mukanda said this in turn affects the economic and national development of the country adding that employees lack essential skills.
“GCE examinations should be permanently suspended until well-structured tuition mechanisms are implemented,” he said.
He added that there is a need to remunerate examination invigilators who are currently unpaid, to motivate them to perform their duties honestly.
Mr Mukanda added that the Examinations Council of Zambia’s suspension of several GCE centers on September 10 underscores the urgency of addressing malpractices.
He has since called for action to restore credibility to Zambia’s education system.
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