Staff member at Kamuzu Academy caught and fired for leaking Cambridge IGSE examinations

* After investigations, it was discovered that secure envelopes containing three subjects were tampered with

* After being informed, Examination Office at Cambridge in responded promptly and emailed confidentially new examination papers

* As such, the breach will have no effect on the integrity of the examinations that students sat for at the Kamuzu Academy

By Duncan Mlanjira

A deputy examination officer at Kamuzu Academy has been discovered to have opened secured envelopes containing three subjects of Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGSE) examinations and has since been fired.

In an announcement to parents and guardians, Headmaster A. Lambert-Knott said management detected a security breach regarding the external examinations and investigations were carried out which was discovered that secure envelopes containing three subjects in the Cambridge IGSE examinations were tampered with.

“The detection and investigations were done before the days set for those examinations,” Lambert-Knott assures the parents and guardians. “Management immediately informed the Examination Office at Cambridge in the United Kingdom, who responded promptly and emailed confidentially to the Academy new examination papers to replace the papers that were tampered with.

“All students sat the new set of papers in those subjects. As such, the breach will have no effect on the integrity of the examinations that students sat for at the Kamuzu Academy.”

Thus Lambert-Knott disclosed that the investigations revealed that the deputy examination officer was responsible and that one student had access to the leaked papers.

“The member of academic staff was called to a disciplinary hearing and he has since been dismissed from employment,” the Headmaster reports. “Kamuzu Academy is a centre of academic excellence and has zero tolerance of any unprofessionalism or malpractice of any kind.

“This was an isolated incident and was promptly detected and investigated,” said the Headmaster while emphasizing that the Academy’s Board of Governors and management “have put in place even more stringent measures to ensure that such a breach does not happen again.”

Secretary for Education, Chikondano Mussa was yet to respond when  contacted if the Ministry is aware of this development and if so, what action will be taken on the member of staff and/or the student.

But the Headmaster asserts that management will not hesitate to take the necessary actions to address any breaches of their Code of Conduct as “Kamuzu Academy upholds the highest levels of integrity as enshrined in the Founder’s Vision”.

Kamuzu Academy’s website indicates that it is a selective, co-educational boarding school for pupils in the 11 to 18 age range and its rural setting, far from the distractions of large towns or cities, allows pupils to concentrate fully upon their educational development.

The Academy offers courses leading to the IGCSE examinations of the University of Cambridge and other UK examining bodies at the end of Form 5, and to GCE AS and A levels at the end of the Lower and Upper 6th Forms respectively.

Its lower school courses (Forms 1 to 3) are influenced by, but not tied to, the UK National Curriculum. It also offers the theory examinations of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and is a centre for the US-based SAT examinations.

Its three academic terms run from September to December, January to March and April to June, about 36 weeks in total.

Its wide-ranging curriculum covers English (language & literature), Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Latin, Greek, History, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, ICT, French, Geography, Religious Studies, Economics, Business Studies, Law, CDT, Art & Design, Music and Physical Education.

The Classics form an important part of its ethos, and one Classical subject is compulsory at IGCSE.