Three exam monitors at Milandhoo School in Shaviyani Atoll have been suspended pending a police investigation into exam fraud, after the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) annulled the grades of students in the latest O’Level maths examination.
CIE markers raised concerns about the similarity of students’ answers in the exam, and a lack of working (mathematics exams typically award partial marks for correct working even if the final answer is incorrect). As a result, the 38 students who sat the exam will receive no grade in the O-Level maths exam.
Milandhoo Council’s President Mohamed Yasir confirmed that police have commenced questioning students that sat the exams.
”Police have declined to provide further information to the council as well, until the investigation is closed,” Yasir said, adding that the three exam invigilators – two aged over 30 and another 23 – were suspended temporarily.
A student who sat for the examinations told local newspaper Haveeru that the students “were tricked as someone changed the contents of the papers [after completion].”
“We can say again and again that we never cheated in the examination. Someone changed the papers after we did the examination.”
Deputy Education Minister Dr Abdulla Nazeer said that the affected students should be able to resit “the next available exam. I don’t think there are any restrictions.”
He said the Education Ministry had pledged to investigate the matter “as thoroughly as possible”, and take action if malpractice was identified.
The investigation was nearly complete, he said: “We are in close contact with CIE and they are waiting for the police report.”
Milandhoo school was ranked second in the Maldives last year in the O’Level exam results. Dr Nazeer said the Ministry did not have suspicions that any alleged exam fraud had been ongoing.
“[CIE] has always commended the Maldives for taking high security precautions when conducting examinations,” he said. As well as staff training, police were present in every exam hall and the safes containing the exam papers only had one key. Further measures, he said, such as the construction of a safe room for the papers, “would be very expensive for the Ministry.”
Former Education Minister Dr Mustafa Luthfy, now the Chancellor of the new Maldives National University, expressed deep concern about the incident and its potential impact on the reputation of the country’s education system.
”If it happened that invigilators assisted the students, or if they are found to be at fault, then it is a much more serious issue,” said Dr Musthafa. ”They are supposed to be setting an example for the students.”
Dr Musthafa also warned that while the incident could shake CIE’s confidence in the Maldives’ conduct of examinations, ”I do not think they would discontinue providing examinations for the Maldives,” he said.
He added that strict actions should be taken against the culprits to avoid a repeat of the incident, which had ultimately impacted the students.
”It is truly a regrettable incident,” he said. ”Cambridge will not take action against the invigilators or school staff, but they can take action against the students.”
Head of Milandhoo School Ahmed Zaheen had not responded to calls from Minivan News at time of press.
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