Teachers’ unions slam Ministry over Year 12 Exam Paper theft

Fiji’s teachers’ unions have condemned the alleged theft of Fiji Year 12 Certificate Examination (FY12CE) papers from a school in Sigatoka.

The unions have blamed the Ministry of Education for the laxity in handling external examination papers.

Fijian Teachers Association (FTA) general secretary Paula Manumanunitoga said the ministry must take full responsibility in its delivery process to prevent breaches in the future.

“If needed, officers should be paid to travel overnight and deliver the papers just before the exam starts. That is much safer than keeping them in schools where such incidents can happen,” he said.

The comments follow the alleged thefts of the Chemistry, Computer Studies, Technical Drawing, and Vosa Vakaviti exam papers from inside a Sigatoka secondary school principal’s office on Tuesday morning.

The school is a 40-minute drive from the education district office in Sigatoka.

Permanent secretary for Education Pene Aropio said the head of school insisted on storing the examination papers in his office instead of the District Education Office.

Furthermore, upon discovering the alleged break-in, the head of school failed to report the incident immediately to the Nadroga/Navosa Education Office.

Mr Manumanuitoga questioned why the principal took the examination papers with them.

“If the school is that close to the education district, there was no reason for the principal to keep the papers early,” he said.

“The ministry must make sure schools nearby receive the papers on the same day as the exam.”

He also warned students about the consequences of being involved in such actions, stressing that “those caught will face serious repercussions”.

Fiji Teachers Union

Fiji Teachers Union (FTU) general secretary Muniappa Goundar condemned the theft, calling it an “unfortunate and avoidable” incident that undermines the credibility of the education system.

“There are clear standard procedures for handling external exam papers,” he said.

“Those entrusted with their custody must follow those procedures. Incidents like this tarnish the hard work of teachers, students, and all those involved in preparing for national exams.”

He urged the ministry and police to identify and hold accountable those responsible for the leak.

Mr Aropio confirmed in a press conference yesterday that they would await the result of the police investigation to determine if the incident warrants any disciplinary action.

Following the incident, the ministry has faced growing pressure to tighten its examination paper handling procedures, prompting a full review of the ministry’s standard operating procedures.

Mr Aropio said the ministry had secure systems in place for electronic examination distribution and was working to expand their use.

“Our e-copy system allows only heads of schools to log in and access exam papers.

“It has already been successfully used for Year 8 examination and we are now moving toward digital tracking tools to further strengthen our quality assurance processes.”

Mr Aropio assured parents and students that national examinations would continue as scheduled, with enhanced oversight and stricter adherence to existing security measures.

Year 12 exams continue to next week.

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