Vox pop

Many grade 11 learners have to rewrite their examinations this year because of a leak of exam papers last year. My Zone asked a few learners how they felt about it.

Alushe Mupewa

“I never imagined having to rewrite my external exams, just as I never imagined having to wear a mask when I go in public for the past two years, yet here we are. I feel confused and hopeless but all I can do is push through and put my best foot forward. I feel irritated that innocent students have to pay for the actions of a bad bunch. This issue also hindered many of us from fully relaxing and enjoying our holiday because of constant questions from our family members about how we feel and if we're studying. On the other hand, I'm aware that God has a plan for everything and I'm grateful for all second chances, no matter how they present themselves.”

Avryl Uris

“I feel it was unfair, being that grade 11 is considered the new exit level of your school journey. I really studied hard and tried my best. I understand that rewriting this exam is a second chance for some. But as a science learner this was the most painful experience. Imagine studying 36 chapters of biology, having sleepless nights, just to rewrite all science subjects. This inconvenience was honestly irresponsible. The rescheduling of the examinations wasn’t necessary because in most cases the leaked papers didn’t reach most learners who have to rewrite.”

Reney Rooinasie

“I feel very demotivated. I have spent sleepless nights to really make it since I'm a student that’s upgrading at Namcol as well. It's very disappointing that the people did this damage. It isn't right that we all have to go through it. Most of us had already planned our lives at university and even though we were anxious, there was a bit of excitement too. Like I said before, it demotivated me and I really can't pinpoint what it is I feel but I know that it really breaks my heart to think about it.”

Angel Amuthenu

“I think it was wrong of the teachers to leak the papers. Everyone should have had an equal chance at writing these exams and not depend on cheating and dishonesty to pass. It's mentally and emotionally draining to most of us, because we put in a lot of effort into studying and then in the next moment, we hear the exams are cancelled.”

Natangwe Petrus

“It gave me mixed emotions, on one hand I'm annoyed on the other hand I'm frustrated because I was under a lot of mental pressure throughout the year, mostly due to the Covid pandemic, and struggled to get myself into the right mindset for the exam. Knowing that all the hard work that I put in hasn't given me any results is frustrating. The resetting of the exam dates worries me because it's difficult to get myself back into the right mindset for the exam and I don't feel like I'll get the same marks that I would have gotten the first time.”

Johnson Kaundje

“I don't think it was right for the examination papers to be leaked. Teachers are supposed to be role models and help us go in the right directions in our lives, but it's hard to figure now because of this. It makes you question the security of the exam papers over the years and whether there were actually other leakages that weren't reported. It makes you question the entire education system. I'm not justifying the wrongdoing of the teachers and learners who leaked the papers, but I'm actually glad that we got a second chance to do ourselves justice. Many learners were caught off-guard by the exams that were already written, so this gives us a chance to be correctly prepared.”