Exam Cheats Cheated: Tertiary Institutions To Do Quality Check

Widespread cheating in examinations in recent years has compromised not only the quality of education but also the quality of students passing through the education system and into the workforce. It is a serious development issue.

Here are some records of cheating:

     Specific example of cheating, 2015

     Posts on Exam Cheats

National Department of Education's Measurement Service Board

This year, 2016, the government (through the National Department of Education's Measurement Service Board conducted a nationwide review of the examination process; to ascertain loopholes and recommend ways to stop students from cheating in examinations. The MSB did a good job with it. Have the measures MSB took to stop cheating worked? Probably, yes but not conclusive. 

The National Newspaper reported Asaroka Secondary School students bought exam answer sheets, only to have realised after the exams that the answer sheets were fake. Cheats cheated. The cheaters have got to be stopped from entering higher learning institutions. They are a waste of space.

[Please note that the newspaper report of the riot was not true. No riot had occurred at Asaroka Secondary School after the grade 12 examination according to the school principal in a Post Courier report] 

Indicatively the stoppage measures taken by the MSB may have worked. No reports of actual exam papers or answer sheets were floating around before the exams, unlike in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Given that MSB and the education department were criticised for being too complacent as far as cheating was concerned in recent years, they should equally be complemented this year. 

Well done Exam Review Committee 2016 and MSB.

These cheats are not going to have easy access to tertiary institutions. For example, the University of Technology has taken measures to stop cheaters from entering this prestigious institution. Prospective students wanting to attend UNITECH have sat an entry exam online. 

By making delivery of exam papers and answer sheets safe and secure and tertiary institutions (like UNITECH), 'standing at the entry gate and saying - no we don't want rotten apples in our institutions'  is practising quality check. The check makes the institution prestigious: admired and respected. 

Quality checks on students from the start of student admittance into any institution will stop both cheaters and those trying to bribe their way in. All higher learning institutions must do the background check, whether it be entry test (usually taken before admittance) or check on students' internal assessment marks (with secondary schools' academic principals) or other checks. It is about ensuring that hardworking student gets the place he/she deserves. This is justifiable, it is the right thing to do. 

REVIEW OF TUITION FEE-FREE EDUCATION POLICY IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA: INSPECTORS AND DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS PIVOTAL

Challenges of implementing a free education policy have been many. Political will and funding are among the top issues, including education department’s capacity to monitor and evaluate the policy. From 2012 to 2016, the government’s commitment to implementation of Tuition Fee-Free Education (TFFE) policy has been better than the other attempts in 1981, 1993 and 2002. In addition, funding commitment was consistent and the amount committed to implementing the TFFE policy set the bench-mark for any future governments wanting to implement the free education policy.

On the contrary, there were many challenges faced between 2012 and 2016. TFFE policy framework lacked detail from the beginning, though there were guides like the TFFE Manual 2012 to show attempts have been made to establish some control mechanisms. In fact, details of monitoring and evaluating was lacking and therefore a major obstacle to the success the policy both in the past and present.

For example the School Learning and Improvement Plans (SLIP) which is the key for knowing what has actually transpired on the ground (in schools), as far as accounting for TFFE spending was concerned, remained obscure.  By this I mean, the school inspectors (call them standard officers) and district administrators (DA) played an important role to not only maintain standard, but also improve standard. 

The inspectors and  DAs are a link between schools and department of education and this link is vital for monitoring school operations and providing accurate reports required by the Tuition Fee-Free Secretariat of the National Department of Education. And therefore, the standard officers and DAs not monitoring SLIP (school population, development plans, head teachers’ spending, etc.…) have a negative impact on the. overall monitoring and reporting of TFFE policy. Their roles are pivotal to whether the government gets an accurate report or not.

One could argue that the SLIP does not correlate to TFFE policy and its implementation, and the school inspectors and DAs have little to do with the school yearly plans. This is not true. The school yearly plan (SLIP) tells you all you need to know before releasing the government’s fund to a school; monitoring it on a regular basis; and reporting it as and when required. In brief, strictly monitoring SLIP gives you the ability to meet the challenges and limitations of implementing the TFFE policy.

Is it too late to talk about the TFFE policy? Well, the question of continuation of the policy is sketchy as are the election results post 2017 elections – no one knows what happens until it happens. So, we never know. But what we know is that the current government TFFE policy continued for the last five years – no government is the past has done that. It is an achievement. Nevertheless, there are many challenges.

Perhaps it is important to know that who (or which party) forms the government after 2017 election is NOT important. What is important is that EDUCATION, must, remain number one. The new government has to plan to ensure key stakeholders like the school inspectors and DAs perform their roles effectively. Also the new government must identify the KEY INDICATORS needed addressing within the education system, and address them properly from the beginning.

I have written extensively about the Tuition Fee-Free policy since its inception in successive years. The screen shots are the Abstract and Content pages of an academic paper I wrote for a post graduate study. The paper reviews three governments efforts in the past, compares it to the current government attempts and discusses 4 recommendations needed going forward.

An updated version of this paper  now available. You can download the Tuition Fee Free Education Policy in PNG PDF. Email me on info@pnginsight.com 

Declaimer: All attempts have been made to ascertain the factuality of information presented in this academic paper. Please, let the writer know if there is anything you wish to point out in the comment section. You can use the Contact Form or Twitter (Follow @PNG_Insight).