DEBATE OVER FORM V RESULTS AUTHENTICITY

MBABANE – A debate has ensued on the authenticity of the IGCSE 2020 results which were released by government on Monday.

IGCSE is an acronym for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education, which are results for Form V pupils.

This follows an outcry which erupted on social media and other forums where some members of the public strongly felt that the results were moderated. 

Some people were of the view that had the government provided the ‘real’ results, it would have been an egg on their face following the accusations that schools were not ready to resume lessons amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, these claims were rubbished by government, which stated that those people making such accusations about the results being moderated should come up with proof.

Reflection 

According to government, the results were a true reflection of how the pupils performed and stating that they were moderated was an insult to both pupils and teachers.

Responding to the claims, Minister of Education and Training Lady Mabuza said there was none such. 

Mabuza said the pupils had worked hard under pressure.

“Realising that you do not have enough time places you on the edge and it is the norm that when anyone feels hard-pressed, they work even harder to get good results,” she said.

The minister said both pupils and teachers were under pressure and considered methods that would make them become successful. The minister said the Cambridge results were also exceptional, yet they were independent and could not in any way be compromised.  

Eswatini Examinations Council (ECESWA) Registrar Dr Edmund Mazibuko wondered why some people doubted the results, especially because the pupils were trained as they were only forced out of school around March following the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. Dr Mazibuko said these pupils were able to attend classes in Form IV for the entire year as examination questions covered the syllabus from that grade. Also, he stated that in March, when schools closed, the syllabus had already been covered by most teachers. Further, he said even when the pupils were at home, an effort was made by government to teach them through radio and other media platforms. “In July, the pupils returned to school and were able to learn face-to-face from their teachers and above that, examination dates were extended giving them enough time to catch up on lessons with their teachers,” explained the registrar. He stated that he also got questions on whether the exams would be relaxed and made easier in order for the learners to pass. 

Approved 

Dr Mazibuko said his response was that examinations were set two years prior to being written and approved by Cambridge, which accredited certificates. He said markers only applied the examination mark scheme and did not tamper with the process. “I have been questioned as well on national radio during the Letishisako programme if markers were lenient when marking scripts considering the fact that pupils wrote under difficult condition,” he recalled.

Dr Mazibuko said such did not happen and concerns should be directed to the current learners expected to sit for external examination this year as they had not been in class for almost a year. He said he did not understand where so much doubt emanated from regarding the 2020 IGCSE results, which he said was watering down the teachers’ and pupils’ hard work. 

Meanwhile, Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General Sikelela Dlamini said the results were not a true reflection. Dlamini said in each and every exam, there was a moderation which was why the points of admitting students at universities varied. He said the current A* could not be similar to the previous years and depended on whether the learners had passed. Dlamini said it would differ at times that A* would be ranked at 75 per cent, while in another particular year it was placed at 95 per cent, depending on how the pupils had performed. He said it depended on the variances. 

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