While the Botswana Examination Council (BEC) says it is ready to administer the 2011 national examinations that are due to take place in the next two months, there are fears that the Ministry of Education is likely to suspend both final examinations of primary and junior certificate.
Form Five students are likely to sit their final examinations as they are set outside the country.
Meanwhile. the Botswana Association of Private Schools has threatened to take legal action if government decides to suspend this year’s final examinations.
Speaking to the Telegraph, the Public Relations Officer of BEC, Charles Keikotlhae, said, “BEC has long been ready to administer the 2011 examinations that are expected to resume sometime in August for Standard Sevens, followed by the Form Three and Form Fives sometime around September.”
Keikotlhae said the examination papers have already been set according to the syllabus.
He said BEC is aware of information that some practical subjects might not have marks but discussion is underway on how they will deal with the matter.
He said though there are problems within the education system because of the ongoing unrest in schools, BEC is also monitoring the events as they unfold.
Keikotlhae said it will be unfortunate if the minister of education can call off this year’s examinations that will also affect private learning institutions.
He added that government schools are the majority while private institutions form the minority.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education, Normsah Zuze, said the ministry is fully aware of practical subjects whose marks could be a challenge, especially agriculture, because the plots have been destroyed.
“I would not want to comment on the matter until both the ministry and union have met because that will be discussed on the Wednesday meeting therefore I would not want to preempt the outcome of the meeting.”
She assured the public that the Form Fives final examinations will continue as scheduled because they are international and they do not have much control over them.
She, however, said a decision on Standard Seven and Form Three final examinations will be taken on whether the examinations can be suspended or not because they are local examinations.
She further said they had shortened the school holidays from five weeks to two weeks so that they can manage to catch up with lost time lost during the public servants industrial strike.
The chairman of the Botswana Association of Private Schools, Steven Sorinyana, said, “Private schools are ready to seat for their final examinations because learning has not been interrupted since the public servants industrial strike began.”
He warned the Ministry of Education and Skills Development that if they can resort to suspend the examination his association will take the ministry to court.
He expressed disappointment that both government and unions have never consulted them when the education mess started.
“We are a legally registered society and stakeholder in the education system,” he said, adding that although the association is not pleased with the conduct of both the ministry and the union, the association will make plans to meet with the two parties.
