GATSIBO - A teacher at Kiziguro Secondary School in Gatsibo District was on Wednesday, arrested for allegedly helping a student sitting Ordinary Level Mathematics examinations cheat.

Jean Claude Ntirenganya, a Mathematics and -Physics teacher, was working as an invigilator at Polytechnic Gakoni examination centre in Kiramuruzi sector.

According to police officials at Kiramuruzi Police Post, Ntirenganya was arrested with a couple of Mathematics questions and answers, trying to pass them to a female student who was sitting in his supervision room.

"We were tipped off by other supervisors at the centre. When we arrived there, we caught him red-handed with questions and answers trying to pass them to a female student who was only identified as Solange,” a Police official said.

Speaking to The New Times, the suspect however, denied intentions of aiding a student.

"I do admit that I was caught with a question paper and answers but I did not intend to pass them to any student,” he said, at Kiramuruzi Police Post.

When asked why he was calculating some mathematics numbers during the course of the exam, Ntirenganya said that he was curious to see whether some of the questions asked were similar to the ones he has been setting in class.

"I was just calculating some questions on the paper to see if they matched with the ones I normally set in class… but my intention was not to give them to that student,” he said.

In a telephone interview with The New Times, the Executive Secretary of the National Examinations Council, John Rutayisire, condemned the act.

"Yes, it’s true that Jean Claude Ntirenganya was arrested while attempting to aid a student. We have even confirmed evidence that he assigned himself to supervise in a room that belonged to another teacher called Gilbert Dusabe. This mirrors his intention of helping that student who was sitting in the room,” he said.

"There is a clear law that punishes whoever is caught while copying examinations or any one attempting to aid a candidate to pass exams. If convicted by the courts of law, they face between 2 to 10 years of imprisonment.”

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