Chronicle EditorShepherd Chimururi Cool Lifestyle Correspondent
High school students have appealed to Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) to electronically track all exam question papers and answer sheets in an effort to restore confidence and credibility eroded by perennial reports of leaking and cheating. It is now like a tradition that every exam season an exam paper has to leak either by design or by default.
The other time it was Manicaland Province based head who lost exam papers after he had put them on a bus. Last year it was a student at Seke 5 High School in Chitungwiza who leaked a Mathematics exam paper. It was reported that the student had the exam copied to his mobile phone.
This year there were reports of exam leaks which were, however, disputed by the national exam body. Enterprising conmen are said to have typed out fake examination papers which they took to the streets and sold for a minimum of $40 to gullible students. The manufactured exam papers were Mathematics Paper 2, Integrated Science Paper 1 and English Language Paper 2 according to Zimsec.
In an interview with The Cool Lifestyle, Cranborne Boys High Lower Sixth student Vincent Kunaka appealed to Zimsec to improve security when distributing examination papers to various schools.
“A fool proof system like e-tracking is needed to curb the leaking of exams. The packaging should be tagged with electronic sensors that send signals to the national command centre when tampered with.
“As students we spend a lot of time reading and preparing for exams only to hear that it was leaked and the dates have been postponed.
“It really demotivates students. Re-writing of exams psychologically affect those who would not have seen the leaked paper,” he said.
Harare High student Chelsea Madondo (16) suggested Zimsec uses satellite tracking.
“If a truck carrying a load worth a few thousands of dollars can be tracked what about national exams worth millions of dollars. Government should quickly address the issue of exam leakages.
“It is a national issue. Government has over the years been losing a lot of financial resources and this is straining the national budget. Zimbabwean students holding Zimsec certificates may risk the danger of failing to be accepted in international universities and this will have a generational effect,” she said.
Faith Mambaira (18) said exam leakages are eroding the credibility of the national examination system and the education system in the eyes of international universities and corporates with some parents preferring their children to write Cambridge exams.
“Zimsec should electronically monitor all the stages in the exam production process from typing, printing and distribution. Cameras should be installed in the typing pools to monitor secretaries. Cellphones or any other electrical gadgets that assist in transmitting of data should be banned,” she said.
The leakage of exam papers is a serious crime that can be punishable by jail time, however, this does not seem to deter perpetrators. Funds must be used in anti-cheating campaigns in schools. The exam body should also reward whistle blowers.
Cheating, paper leakage and examination malpractice is, however, not confined to Zimbabwe alone. South Africa is currently facing a matric exam paper leakage problem. It has been confirmed that the Maths paper 2 was leaked from Gauteng to the Limpopo province.
Shepherd Chimururi (Executive Director – Dzidzo Inhaka Audio Visual Learning); Mobile: +263 772 608 276; [email protected] ; www.dzidzoinhaka.co.zw
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