Online Reporter
Gabriel Manyeruke
Every examination season, thousands of Zimbabwean learners sit Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) or Cambridge standardised papers.
Yet for many, the greatest challenge is not the syllabus but conditions of the exam itself.
Dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), neurodivergence, visual impairment, poor handwriting or long-term illness can turn a test of knowledge into a test of endurance.
Both Zimsec and Cambridge examination boards recognise this reality.
Their solution: access arrangements — pre-exam adjustments designed to level the playing field without compromising integrity.
Levelling the academic field
Access arrangements are practical, tailor-made measures that allow candidates with special educational needs, disabilities or temporary injuries to demonstrate their knowledge fairly.
These include:
Extra time for slow writers or those with dyslexia.
Modified papers in large print or Braille for visually impaired learners.
Scribes or readers for candidates whose handwriting is illegible.
Assistive technology such as text-to-speech software.
Separate rooms or supervised breaks for learners with ADHD or anxiety.
Cambridge explicitly lists dyslexia, ADHD, neurodivergence and temporary injuries as grounds for support.
Zimsec provisions cover physical, hearing, visual and health-related impairments.
The principle is simple: Exams should measure ability, not disability.
Teachers as first responders
Teachers are the first line of defence.
Through daily classroom assessment, they can identify learners who struggle disproportionately with reading, writing or concentration.
Their duty is not only to teach but to advocate.
Once difficulties are observed, school administrations must engage professional psychologists to provide documentation.
Requests for access arrangements must be submitted well before exam registration deadlines. Cambridge requires applications before entries close, while Zimsec guidance is contained in its “Handbook for Centres”.
Parents as partners in advocacy
Parents also play a vital role.
Observing signs of difficulty at home — whether poor handwriting, slow reading or inattentiveness — should trigger early communication with schools.
Parents must insist on timely applications and encourage learners to practise under the same adjusted conditions they will face in exams.
Familiarity breeds confidence, and confidence is the antidote to exam anxiety.
Despite clear frameworks, obstacles remain.
Psychological assessments and assistive materials often require fees, leaving disadvantaged families at risk of exclusion.
Some parents and school administrators fail to give these provisions due consideration.
Others hesitate to label learners, fearing reputational damage.
The result is inequity: Affluent families can afford assessments and secure accommodations, while children from low-income backgrounds struggle in silence and are unfairly judged.
Inclusive education should not be a slogan
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education advocates for inclusive education.
Yet advocacy must be matched with resources.
The Government and stakeholders should subsidise assessments and materials for disadvantaged learners, ensuring that access arrangements are not reserved for the privileged.
Cambridge and Zimsec both provide comprehensive online guidance for examination officers and administrators.
These resources must be actively disseminated and implemented so that every candidate — regardless of background — can exercise their ability freely and fairly.
Access arrangements are not concessions; they are instruments of justice.
They ensure that examinations measure knowledge rather than disability and effort rather than impairment.
For learners, they build confidence and self-esteem.
For parents and teachers, they affirm the principle that no child should be deprived of opportunity.
If schools, parents and examination boards work together, Zimbabwe can move closer to a system where every learner succeeds on the strength of their ability, not the weight of their challenges.
Gabriel Manyeruke is an author and educator at Wise Owl High School in Marondera. Feedback manyeruke4@ gmail.com
Tinaye Agere