Who should mark RNEC exams?

Dear Editor, Every year in Rwanda, the Rwanda National Examination council, registers thousands and thousands of students to sit for primary, ordinary or advanced secondary examinations. These students prepare thoroughly for these sets of exams. The question is, who should qualify for the marking exercise? Last year, I was so disappointed to meet some university students, not even education students, who were so proud and excited to be marking the secondary examinations. This is quite disturbing because the future of our candidates is always at stake if we set our education standards so low by having such unqualified students and others who lack subject knowledge to mark national exam scripts. This demeans the credibility of the assessment and evaluation process of our children and the system as a whole. As if that is not enough, there may occur misjudgment of a would be good student or rather a weak student may be elevated, this is jeopardizing a child’s future. What guarantee do we have that student marks will not be rigged, cheated or misunderstood by these unqualified markers who are not in the profession? What integrity is left to protect professional teachers, if they are not respected to handle the marking process? Reason should be placed on table, and more qualified teachers paid well and given enough time to mark these examinations, just like it is in other East African states. I believe a professional teacher, should be the technocrat in this kind of exercise because he or she has the necessary subject knowledge. It shouldn’t really matter how many they are, instead the quality of work done should be priority despite the marking challenges. Frustrated teacher Anna AkarizaKigali

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Who should mark RNEC exams?