72,000 students nationwide dig in for grade 10 tests

The National Main Stories

A TOTAL of 358 grade 10 students of Gordon Secondary School in the National Capital District were among more than 72,000 students who sat mathematics and personal development examinations yesterday.
Maths was in the morning and personal development in the afternoon.
Today they are sitting social science in the first session and arts in the second.
Tomorrow will be science in the morning and practical skills and home economics in the afternoon. Thursday will see business studies and Friday the English examination.
Gordon Secondary principal George Kenega said they had more students at the start of the school year but many withdrew while some transferred.
“Gordon Secondary is one of the top 10 schools in the country and we retained almost 99 per cent of our students to continue into Grade 11 and 12),”Kenega said.
More than 2000 10th graders from 14 schools in Jiwaka are sitting exams ths week,” said supervisor Steven Guan. Provincial education adviser Erwin Us said they had deployed two monitoring team into the schools to
ensure they complied with procedures.
He said exam papers for Jimi High and Kauil High in Jimi were airlifted there on Saturday.
“Next year the number of Grade 12s will increase because we will have Nondugl Secondary School which has only Grade 11 class this year,” Us said.
Principal of Waghi Valley Secondary School, Betty Wena said they had a total of 248 Grade 10 sand 216 Grade 12s.
More than 2000 students in East New Britain sat for their English and personal development (PD) Grade 10 examination papers yesterday.
Grade 10 provincial exam coordinator Christ Bola told said students from 13 high and secondary schools had sat for the exams.
“The number has increased compared to last year because we have two new high schools, Boison and Toll, whose students are also sitting for the exams,” he said.
“The only hiccup was with a printing mistake where the students supposed to fill in their personal details,” Bola said.
“That was, however, rectified and exam started around 8am.”
Bola said 32 external invigilators were engaged to oversee the exams.
A total of 72,012 Grade 10 students in 328 high/secondary schools are sitting for the lower secondary school certificate examinations.
Education Secretary Uke Kombra has called on all concerned parties to make every effort to give all students and schools “a fair go” and to be honest and not allowing cheating.
“The penalty for cheating or assisting to cheat in the national examination is non-certification. External invigilators, schools’ heads and inspectors must report all observed malpractices to Measurement Services Division of the department for analysis and action,” he said
“Teachers are not allowed to view, read or access exam papers during the conduct of all exams.
“Mobile phones are banned from the exam rooms for students and all school personnel.”
Principals and deputy principals must stay in school during all examination days and enforce strict implementation of this schedule and abide by all Measurement Services regulations relating
The 2018 National Examination dates are as follows;

  • Examination (Grade 10) Monday 8th October – Friday 12th October (1 week only). A total of 72,012 Grade 10 students in 328 high/secondary schools will sit for the lower secondary school certificate examination.
  • Examination (Grade 12) Monday October 15th – Friday October 19th (1 week only). A total of 30,662 Grade 12 students in 170 secondary/NHS schools will sit for the upper secondary school Certificate Examination
  • Examination (Grade 8) Monday October 22nd – Thursday October 25th (4 days only). A total of 133,745 Grade 8 students in 3,078 Primary Schools will sit for Certificate of Basic Education Examination.