Minister orders exam repeat

HILDA MHAGAMA

DEPUTY Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, the Elderly and Children, Dr Hamisi Kigwangala, addresses in Dar es Salaam yesterday the visiting Mwanza-based Tandabui Institute of Health Sciences and Technology (TIHEST) students on the requirement to resit their examinations. Also present was the Permanent Secretary, Dr Mpoki Ulisubya right. (Photo by Mohamed Mambo)

THE Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dr Hamisi Kigwangala, has directed the Mwanza-based Institute of Health Sciences and Technology, Tandabui, to repeat NTA Level 5 examinations.

The exams were, allegedly, marred by irregularities. A representative of the students, Mr Jackson Chibunde, who sat the marred examination told the deputy minister that the exams were not conducted fairly.

Presenting the students’ grievances before the Deputy Minister and Director for the Training Department in the ministry, the students’ representative said there was no transparency during their exams and that some invigilators contributed to their failure.

“It is hard to prove whether your allegations are true or not, but by the authority vested in me I cancel the results of the examination and order a repeat. We are giving you another chance,” said the Deputy Minister.

Dr Kigwangalla also instructed the director for the trainings department to ensure more invigilators are assigned during the examination and that all have the criteria stipulated by the ministry.

He further said that since the institute was privately run, the students’ representative, Mr Chibunde, should communicate with the administration to establish how the cost will be incurred.

“The ministry deals with the issue of the quality of examinations but the cost of ensuring that they reach your campus are upon your Institute,” he said.

“The examinations should be standardized and the invigilators should be neutral to avoid this kind of complaints again. It is important you involve me in each stage,” directed Dr Kigwangalla.

Earlier, Mr Chibunde had said that more than 164 students sat the exams but only two passed.

The remaining students failed. Mr Chibunde said some examiners were busy tapping and touching their smart phones while supervising practical exams something which made the students worried.

They were unable to know what was taking place during the exam. “We witnessed a lot of irregularities during the exams, thus we want the ministry to give us another chance,” Mr Chibunde said.

He further said that as the ministry considered giving them a second chance, the process of selecting invigilators should be more transparent unlike the previous time.

Dr Kigwangala directed the students’ representative to communicate with the Institute administration to establish proper ways to cover the costs for the ministry and set another date for their exams