National exams delayed a week after printer ‘forgot to print’

Students in class in the Solomon Islands

The national school examinations scheduled to start on Monday have been pushed back a week because the printing company contracted to print them missed the deadline.

As reported in the Solomon Star today, the Ministry of Education confirmed all examinations, grade six, form 3, form 5 and form 6 will be delayed because Pacific Printers, the company contracted to complete a majority of the work, did not meet its deadline.

The exams will now start on November 6.

The decision has sparked outrage across the community – from teachers to students – questioning how a simple situation such as priniting the papers could delay such an important event.

“This is just terrible mismanagement,” one teacher told SIBC Online. “The department is playing around with the futures of Solomon Islands students. It is not good enough.”

Acting Department of Education permanent secretary James Bosamata told the Solomon Star the ministry did its job, and the blame was all on the printers.

“They only competed printing seven subjects . . . there are still nine subjects to be done. Exam papers should be distributed (this week) throughout the country. But (with the) priniting delay is is unrealistic for the exams to commence on the previous schedule.”

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