adminThe month of January, when parents and students fret over results, both Ordinary and Advanced Level, is the same time of the year when they have to decide as well, to choose between the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) and Cambridge University-run examinations.
Ever since local examinations were localised in 1995, Zimsec has been dogged by a number of challenges, at one time to do with funding and lately over security of its exam papers as well as credibility to its quality of its results.
These challenges have led parents who can afford, to register their children for both Zimsec and Cambridge examinations, whereas others opt for Cambridge only. To sit for a Zimsec examination, a student writing “O” Level has to fork out $17 per subject whilst $26 is paid for “A” Level. Foreign students pay $35 for “O” Levels and $53 for “A” Levels. To register for two “O” Level Cambridge subjects, a Harare college is asking for $187 whilst $752 is required for three “A” Level subjects.
To curb examination leakages, which of late have discredited the local examination body, Zimsec recently introduced seals on examination papers.
However, educationists believe that a whole range of issues need to be addressed, from low staff morale to how the exam papers are transported.
In a study titled Schools Examination Leakages: A Case of Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council, Mr Isao Mashanyare (the Masvingo education provincial officer) and Chinhoyi University of Technology’s Emmanuel Chinamasa noted: “School heads are not employed by Zimsec to transport and administer examinations. They are not paid for such services which they carry out on their expenses. Factors that contribute to leakages include use of public transport, lack of security and a demotivated teaching force.”
In their research they noted a number of solutions, which can help restore credibility to local examinsation, among them the need for Zimsec to contract transport providers and/or the hiring of a security company to transport the papers.
There is a growing fear that if the leaks are not stopped, then local high school graduates might end up failing to get entry into international universities. Last year, four examination papers were leaked in the Midlands province, costing Zimsec over US$1 million as pupils had to re-sit the examinations.
In 2012 alone, some 13 Ordinary Level examinations had to be reset at a cost of $850 000 after a headmaster lost the exam papers while travelling on public transport from Bulawayo to his rural school somewhere in Matabeleland.
Presently, there are no known cases of Zimsec candidates who have been turned away outside our borders. According to the Zimsec official website, Zimsec certificates are accepted in Africa and beyond and demand for certified “O” and “A” Level certificates is very high in all English-speaking countries. On average, Zimsec gives some 20 results confirmation statements every week to various institutions in the country and beyond our borders.
The website also notes that Zimbabwe is ranked number four on the list of countries with the most preferred secondary school-leaving candidates for enrolment into American universities.
Another aspect that has raised eyebrows with observers is the ease with which it now seems to obtain flying colours. In the 80s and early 90s, 15 points at Advanced Level were not a common occurrence but is a chorus these days.
This increase in the number of students that are passing the local examinations with flying colours has been attributed to the leakages and the way the examinations are set. Mr Maxwell Rafemoyo of the Education Coalition of Zimbabwe attributed the high Zimsec pass rates to the way the examinations are set. Despite the examination leakages, Dr Lazarus Dokora, Primary and Secondary Education minister defended Zimsec, saying it was introduced in the education system in consultation with the Cambridge Examination Board and is internationally-recognised.
“There is no change in the examination system from Cambridge, the only difference is that marking is now done locally,” Dr Dokora said.
Dr Dokora said when Zimsec was introduced, Government had worked in conjunction with Cambridge, which approved the local examination board. On the other hand, Cambridge examinations are internationally recognised qualifications which are not tainted by leakages. Instead, the qualifications are accepted by leading universities and employers worldwide. Cambridge examination fees are, however, beyond the reach of many Zimbabweans.
Online Reporter