WCE investigates fake matric results

FOUR Windhoek College of Education (WCE) students face suspension for allegedly tampering with their matric results to gain admission to the institution.

The four were part of a group of six students suspected of altering their matric results to show better scores. This was confirmed to The Namibian by the Vice Rector of the teachers’ training institution, Sackey Iipinge, who said that the four would be suspended in the near future.”Every year we send especially first year students’ results to the Directorate of Examinations and Assessment (DNEA) for verification of their results,” Iipinge said.He added that, on average, about four to six students a year are caught with fraudulent papers.”It really is a common practice.Maybe there is a syndicate responsible,” Iipinge speculated.About two weeks ago two students, who were also investigated as part of the six, were acquitted of accusations of tampering with their Grade 12 certificates.The two were investigated at the suggestion of the DNEA, he said.When it emerged that the two were in fact innocent, they were both immediately informed, Iipinge said.”The two you refer to, there had been a mistake there.I don’t want to speak for them (DNEA), but there must have been a human error made,” Iipinge said.”If you take into account that there are about 300 or more students that they have to check, it seems quite possible,” he said.When contacted for comment yesterday, the DNEA Director Cowley van der Merwe, said he was not in a position to speculate about why the two students ended up among those suspected of tampering with their results.One of the acquitted students, Nathanael Kamatuka, said the way in which the matter had been handled by WCE was unacceptable to him.”All I was told was that they found out I faked my (matric) papers.The manner in which they dealt with me was very rude, and I was totally shocked over what I was hearing,” he charged.Kamatuka matriculated in 1989, he said, and had previously submitted the same certificate he was now accused of having forged to a private bank that he had worked for, as well as to the Ministry of Education when he previously worked for them as a teacher.He is now a full-time student.This was confirmed to The Namibian by the Vice Rector of the teachers’ training institution, Sackey Iipinge, who said that the four would be suspended in the near future.”Every year we send especially first year students’ results to the Directorate of Examinations and Assessment (DNEA) for verification of their results,” Iipinge said.He added that, on average, about four to six students a year are caught with fraudulent papers.”It really is a common practice.Maybe there is a syndicate responsible,” Iipinge speculated.About two weeks ago two students, who were also investigated as part of the six, were acquitted of accusations of tampering with their Grade 12 certificates.The two were investigated at the suggestion of the DNEA, he said.When it emerged that the two were in fact innocent, they were both immediately informed, Iipinge said.”The two you refer to, there had been a mistake there.I don’t want to speak for them (DNEA), but there must have been a human error made,” Iipinge said.”If you take into account that there are about 300 or more students that they have to check, it seems quite possible,” he said.When contacted for comment yesterday, the DNEA Director Cowley van der Merwe, said he was not in a position to speculate about why the two students ended up among those suspected of tampering with their results.One of the acquitted students, Nathanael Kamatuka, said the way in which the matter had been handled by WCE was unacceptable to him.”All I was told was that they found out I faked my (matric) papers.The manner in which they dealt with me was very rude, and I was totally shocked over what I was hearing,” he charged.Kamatuka matriculated in 1989, he said, and had previously submitted the same certificate he was now accused of having forged to a private bank that he had worked for, as well as to the Ministry of Education when he previously worked for them as a teacher.He is now a full-time student.