Late French exam papers spark legal battle
A French teacher from Morama Junior Secondary School in Jwaneng has launched a legal challenge against the government and the Botswana Examination Council (BEC) over the late release of an exam paper. Mpho Ipotseng insists the delay put her 38 students at a disadvantage and wants the Maun High Court to stop the ongoing French Paper 3 examinations, which began this morning, September 15th. The paper, which has a practical speaking component, is scheduled to run until next week, Friday, September 26th.
In an urgent application filed before the court, Ipotseng maintains that the BEC failed to comply with the official Junior Certificate Examination (JCE) assessment syllabus for French. “I have a genuine interest in this application for the sake of my learners, who are minors and have a right to education,” she outlines in her founding affidavit. This right, she argues, includes proper preparation for their final exams. The legal action centers on the JCE Assessment Syllabus for French, a document developed by the BEC in 2023 to ensure a fair and consistent examination process. A key point in this syllabus states that all examination papers must be delivered to schools three months before the final exam and should include instructions for candidates, teachers, and invigilators.
According to Ipotseng, the 2025 French Paper 3 was delivered to her school a month late, in July, instead of the required three months prior. She also claims the papers arrived without the necessary instructions for students, teachers, or invigilators.
Ipotseng believes the BEC’s failure to provide the paper and its corresponding manuals on time has left her students ill-prepared for the exam’s practical speaking components. She fears that a poor performance by her students will negatively impact her professional reputation and could even lead to disciplinary action against her.
Ipotseng expressed grave concern over the dismal performance of her French 032 JCE students on the 2024 final examinations. She stated, ‘This is a terrible reflection on my ability to deliver and properly guide the students through the syllabus.’
She believes that resources and facilities are essential to improving student scores for the 2025 examinations and noted that the first respondent has failed to provide her with the necessary support.
She is asking the court to declare that the BEC’s late and incomplete release of the exam paper is in direct violation of the syllabus and should be nullified. The French teacher is further seeking an interdict to prevent both the BEC and the Ministry of Basic Education from continuing with the French Paper 3 examinations until they fully comply with the established assessment rules. Her application is due to be heard by Justice Godfrey Nthomiwa at 4 p.m. this afternoon.
