Minister: This is why we canceled results for 337 Form Four candidates

Dar es Salaam. The Minister for Education, Science and Technology Prof Adolf Mkenda on Wednesday cemented the measures taken by the National Examinations Council of Tanzania (Necta) to nullify results for 337 students who were involved in “cheating” in their Form Four national examinations 2022.

The results of 20 students were also withheld to give room for further investigation.

On February 5, this year, parents who had candidates at Mwanza-based Thaqaafa Secondary School, protested to demand the government to intervene in the matter so that their children can get the results.

Speaking to the press on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, Prof Mkenda said that among the candidates whose results were cancelled, four wrote insults in their answer sheet while 51 were found with illegal writing in the examination rooms.

"10 students were caught with cell phones or smart watches in the exam rooms, while they all know they are not allowed to enter with them. They were reminded when they enter and they know that if they are caught, their results will be cancelled," he said.

He said that there were nine candidates who did not go to the examination rooms but sent people to sit for them and that the latter have already been arrested.

"Some 27 students were caught helping each other in the examination room. Six candidates have had their results deleted because they used WhatsApp to share answers," he said.

Prof Mkenda noted that the use of WhatsApp was detected at the Mnemonic Secondary School in Zanzibar where one candidate took a picture of the exam and sent it to the school owner who coordinated the answers to the questions and posted them in the WhatsApp group.

He said five other candidates were not caught with cell phones their presence in the group was an attempt to commit fraud.

The minister said that the other 20 candidates who took the exams at the school centre, their results have been withheld because in that group there are 20 different names and unknown candidates.

He said that 206 of 337 have been canceled due to the unusual similarity of their answers. That include 140 from Thaqaafa School in Mwanza and 66 from Twibhoki Secondary School in Mara region.

"While the exam was going on, secret information was presented to Necta that there is theft and a big fraud going on. Necta took various measures including the decision to review all the answers," hesaid.

He said that his ministry was satisfied with the decision and that they will send the Necta Law Amendment Bill to the parliament to give more severe punishment to those found to commit fraud in examinations.