Permanent Secretary for Education, Anjeela Jokhan says holding centres for external exam papers are moved to Police Stations and Post Offices instead of schools to prevent tampering and leakage.
She says only a handful of schools in very remote locations would be keeping the papers in school.
Jokhan says they will be using self-adhesive plastic packaging to put the papers in which cannot be tampered with. She says previously, cartons were used to keep papers.
She says the Education Ministry will be using all external supervisors instead of teachers to ensure teachers are not involved in exams in any way.
When questioned by Fijivillage on what action was taken against those involved in the alleged tampering of external exam papers in two cases last year, Jokhan says one teacher who was found guilty was terminated, one was warned as they did not have direct evidence while one teacher was cautioned.
It is alleged that the headteacher of Nabau District School in Rakiraki and Year 6 teacher had opened the packaging of the Year 6 external exam paper and were revising it with the students.
In another case, there was an alleged tampering of the Year 12 external examination papers at Lelean Memorial School where there was a break in and some sealed portions of the exam papers were already open.
Exams for years 12 and 13 will commence on Monday.
