By Bida Elly David
A senior education officer has over the weekend criticized the national Ministry of General Education and Instructions against malpractices and poor inspection mechanisms in most institutions of learning across the Country saying that students have overpowered teachers and administration.
Last year, the national Minister of General Education and Instructions stated that they introduced examination tracking device meant to track any malpractices in the control room as well as analyze the originality of the examination papers but some experts said that the device has never been seen in operation and pilferages remained the order of the day.
Not only that, the senior education officer also slammed the Ministry for having failed to recruit qualified teachers into the system following the on-going passive education system where some of the teachers available lack competency amid lesson presentation and scheme of work.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper last week, a senior education officer who chose anonymity for security reasons said that the current education system across the Country has totally failed following uncontrollable examination malpractices and poor inspection of schools for better performance progress.
He said that the inspectors that the ministry sends had never been carrying their inspection tasks based on the expectation rather focusing much on collection of brown envelopes from school administrations.
He further pointed out that majority of schools across the Country are not following the academic calendar prepared by the ministry saying that some schools run the academic year with two terms while others operate with three terms.
He suggested that the Ministry should immediately come up with education transformation mechanism to move the sector to the best level.
“The inspectors assigned to schools are just money minded people. Instead of inspecting teachers and how learners undertake their studies, they only visit school administrations for a brief meeting and later come out with smiles on their faces with money from their pockets. The Minister herself is just there on the top seat without taking serious measures on such situations,” he said.
The expert also reiterated number of examination malpractices in the control rooms as some folks steal for the sake of commercial purposes and their families yet no legal step has been laid to hold them accountable.
Meanwhile, Mary Jokudu, a parent to one of the learners in one of the public Secondary schools said that she never witnessed any academic transformation on her child right after enrolment pointing out that her child always complained of coming home without other subjects being taught.
She also said that she witnessed students using mobile phones in some schools yet administration gave no measures to undertake investigation and disciplinary measures.
“Our schools are getting worst in the Country. No qualified teachers. Students move the way they like, use phones freely and the ministry does not take note of that,” she said.
“I need the ministry to send inspectors to these public schools to assess both the teachers and the learners whether they are performing,” she urged.
The General Education ministry is yet to respond…
After consulting the Ministry of General Education for more elaboration yesterday, Kuyok Abol Kuyok, the Undersecretary of the ministry said that he was not ready to respond to the allegation procrastinating the meeting to further notice.