Tanzania: More Details Emerge Over Suspended Exams Centre

DID you know that the Chalinze Modern Islamic Pre and Primary School examination centre that has just been suspended indefinitely by the government for examination malpractice has had topsy-turvy results for the past three academic years?

Imagine pupils passing with flying colours, with the centre being among the top ten at national level in 2021, taking a sharp rise from 174 in 2020.

The centre, which is categorized in a group of over 40 candidates, scooped the 18th position at national level in 2019’s Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).

More so, in the same year, the centre registered a shining performance at council and regional level by scooping the first position as all the candidates received grade A in their final exams.

The table turned upside down in 2020 results, when it emerged in the 174 position at national level, second at council level and the sixth at the regional level with the candidates receiving grades A and B in their results.

In the year 2021, the center made it back to the top positions after emerging in the top ten at national level and the first in Chalinze District council as well the whole Coast Region.

However, in a shocking scenario, in the October 14th, this year, barely a week after completion of the PSLE for 2022, one of the candidates who sat for the exam at the Chalinze Modern Islamic Pre and Primary School was seen in a video clip complaining about the irregularities she experienced during her exams.

In a video that went viral on social media, a student who identified herself as Iptisum Suleiman Slim, complained to have her examination number altered with no clear explanation from the invigilators.

Iptisum said she wrote her exams under the numbers PS1408009/0040 and PS1408009/0039, contrary to normal procedures that require a candidate to use only a single number throughout the exam.

According to her, in the first five exams, she used the number PS1408009/0040 before she was instructed to use the number PS1408009/0039 in the last exam. She there then got suspicious on the planned move to tamper with her final results

Her explanations were confirmed to be true by the report of the investigation team that was announced by Minister for Education, Science and Technology Prof Adolf Mkenda during a press conference held in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Prof Mkenda said the investigation that was conducted on the matter established that there was a malpractice at the Chalinze Modern Islamic Pre and Primary School examination centre.

“It’s true that this candidate had her exam number changed, she used two different numbers in her PLSE, all these have been unveiled after the investigation that was done by the examination committee of the Coast Region in collaboration with the Forensic Bureau of the Tanzania Police Force,” he said.

The minister explained that, the findings show that apart from Iptisum, there are four other candidates from the Chalinze Modern Islamic Pre and Primary School who had the same case during the sixth exam.

“Due to this, the government has decided to suspend for an unspecified period of time the examination centre at Chalinze Modern Islamic Pre and Primary school,” he said.

Prof Mkenda also instructed that proper actions should be taken against those who were involved in the misconduct during the PLSE at the Chalinze Modern Islamic Pre and Primary School.

The minister also demanded the owner of the school to sack all teachers, who were involved in the cheating, failure to do so; the school will be deregistered permanently.

Furthermore, Prof Mkenda instructed the National Examination Council of Tanzania (NECTA) to correct the examination numbers of the candidates who were affected by the malpractice, for them to get their correct results.

“I insist that any school that will engage in examination cheating will face the ban and even be barred from providing education service in the country,” emphasized the minister.

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