EXTERNAL EXAMS MARKERS STILL NOT PAID

 MBABANE – Just as the results have not been released, markers of the JC and EPC external examinations have still not been paid.

The markers, a majority of whom are teachers, have flooded this publication with calls to report that no payment had been made to them, although those who marked the Form V examinations scripts had received their pay.

JC is an acronym for the Junior Certificate examinations (Form III) while EPC stands for the Eswatini Primary Certificate, which is sat for by pupils in Grade VII at primary school level.

However, the teachers are of the view that even though the money would be taxed at 33 per cent, they were still expecting the payment as soon as possible.
“It is unfortunate that the Exams Council of Eswatini (ECESWA) has not communicated anything to us, yet we were engaged before the whole process and we had hoped that after the engagement with the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) there would be more transparency,” said one of the markers. The amount which the markers would be paid varies per subject and the number of scripts per person which they had marked.
For example, some papers are marked at E4.92 per script, while others are E4.42 and some cost E5.29 per script.

Meanwhile, SNAT Secretary General Sikelela Dlamini said nothing formal had been brought to them by their members.
He said at the moment, he believed that there was no need to press the panic button as the results themselves had not been released.

“In the past their payment had come simultaneously with the release of the results so we are expecting a similar trend,” said Dlamini.
However, the markers were of the view that this did not tally up because the Form V markers had already been paid.

On the perceived late release of the results, Dlamini said they could also not be seen to be pushing the exams council to release them as there were internal processes which were undertaken.
He said as SNAT, they would not like to be seen to have had a hand in compromising the integrity or quality of the results by rushing them.
“We understand that the parents and pupils are anxious, but let us see what happens by the end of the week,” said Dlamini.

Meanwhile, ECESWA Registrar Dr Edmund Mazibuko assured the markers that they would be paid as soon as possible.
“In actual fact today (yesterday) we started paying those who were marking the JC scripts and thereafter we will pay those who marked the EPC as this is done in stages,” said Dr Mazibuko.

He said the Form V markers had been paid early because they were the first to finish marking and their numbers were fewer when compared to those who marked the EPC and JC scripts.                                                   

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