IT IS an exam shocker, certainly, but it should not undermine Singapore?s secure examination system, or shake your faith in teachers.

The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (Seab) has confirmed that this is the first such breach of integrity in its impeccable history.

The investigation of the matter was also done in a way to inspire confidence.

Not long after The New Paper sent queries after hearing about the tampering of exam scripts, the Seab issued a full statement.

Some answers were not available simply because the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau is still investigating the matter.

But the key point to remember is that this is ?an isolated incident? as Seab noted, and is being thoroughly probed.

So the whistleblower can rest assured that nothing would be swept under the carpet.

And that the reputation of the PSLE is still sound.

Just two days before the call from the whistleblower, The New Paper had carried a report that the PSLE brand was making waves in the region.

The iPSLE, as it is named, was being recognised by several countries and used in their examinations to promote students from primary to secondary schools.

The anonymous caller might have been egged on by our earlier report.

One thing was clear: the caller sounded cynical of the system.

However, to call into question the credibility of the entire examination system on the basis of a single incident would be wrong.

Even seasoned educators, including principals and teachers, appeared shaken by the news of the bad egg.

This underscores how important it is that the Seab and the Education Ministry get to the bottom of this issue and restore full confidence.

A full investigation, and making the findings public, will help to clear doubts.

In the meantime, the roles the external examiners and principals play in reinforcing the message of integrity are crucial.

Teachers must realise the heavy responsibility they carry in maintaining standards, especially in safeguarding the sanctity of an examination system built over more than five decades.

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