(Middle) Frank Mpungu, the Deputy Head Teacher for Administration at Juba Academy Secondary School, (left) Dr. Isaac Ayii, Chancellor of Ayii University and Dr. Stephenson, Academic Registrar of Ayii University speak on Eye Radio's weekend show. (Lou Nelson).

A secondary school teacher in Juba on Saturday warned that examination cheating practices will negatively affect the quality of education in the country.

Frank Mpungu, the Deputy Head Teacher for Administration at Juba Academy Secondary School said exams cheating is an academic dishonesty that impacts quality education and sustainable development.

Mr. Mpungu criticized the exams malpractices saying students who cheat will acquire good grades but not the knowledge.

“Cheating is a form of academic dishonesty it is very unethical, and it is something that we academician condemn in the strongest term,” he said on Eye Radio’s Lets Learn Together program.

Mpungu added that exams malpractice is not a new phenomenon adding that “it is something we have lived with for a very long time.”

“Unfortunately, it has a very great impact on quality education and education for sustainable development. A student who has engaged in cheating undermines academic integrity.”

“If a child engages in cheating, the ultimate goal in most cases is to acquire good grades, but at the end of the day, there is no knowledge acquired.”

“So, when they get out there at work, the productivity is affected someone has good grades but is not able to produce so cheating affect productivity.”

Frank added that cheating also demoralizes hard working students, as the society looks at the grades not how students acquired it.

“A child who has not put effort cheats and it demoralizes the other one who has put in efforts.”

“If I have not read and at the end of the day, I cheat and do better than you who has been laboring to read, it has an impact in demoralizing students who are hardworking.”

“Usually, the society we are living in does not look at how one has acquired the grades what we look at the paper. At the end of the day, it does not matter how you have acquired it.”

In the last few years, reports of exams leakage and malpractices have reportedly become the major challenges facing the education sector.

In March 2023, the Secretary-General of the National Examinations Council said punitive measures will be taken against anyone breaching examinations rules.

Simon Nyok said the Examination Council has invested in innovations to ensure examination malpractices are curbed.

He however cautioned that punitive measures will be taken against anyone linked to examinations malpractice and may serve a jail term in accordance with the examination law.

For his part, The Chancellor of Ayii University, Dr. Isaac Ayii Ayii suggests entry exams to students joining the university as a mean to reduce cheating.

“There are also ways to prevent cheating, for instance in higher education, if we introduce entry exams, it will discourage cheating in secondary schools because cheating in secondary schools can also be prevented in higher education.”