adminThe Rhodesia Herald, November 16, 1965
THE General Certificate of Education examinations in Rhodesia are being held as usual, and have not been affected by the UDI, the Secretary for Education, Mr JD Slaven, said yesterday.
Examination papers were going to the GCE authorities in London normally as in past years.
Our Bulawayo correspondent reports that the hundreds of GCE examination papers now being written by Rhodesian schoolchildren will be despatched to London for marking by the Associated Examinations Board.
This was stated by a spokesperson of the Ministry of Education in an interview. “We have no reason to doubt that the board will mark our children’s examination work this year as they have done in the past,” the spokesperson said.
But as to the future of the British examination, he said he could make no comment. There was as yet no reason for supposing this year’s examinations were the last GCE examinations for Rhodesia.
“We are proceeding at present on the assumption that things in this field will carry on in the usual way,” he said.
“Obviously I have nothing to say about the future as far as this examination is concerned. So many other things have to be arranged that we will have to wait and see. But we are assuming that these examinations will continue here.”
LESSONS FOR TODAY
Those who invited sanctions on Zimbabwe must realise their overarching reach in the various spheres of life. Although their children could have gone to study in the Diaspora, the success of that scheme was not overly guaranteed, especially those still doing their primary education.
In 1983, Government under the First Republic decided to localise examinations. Markers and administrative personnel were trained, and the British National Academic Recognition Centre (NARIC) evaluated Zimbabwe’s examination system and gave their approval.
In 1994, Parliament passed the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Act (ZIMSEC Act 1994).
ZIMSEC now administers examinations at primary and secondary levels up to Upper Sixth or Form 6 without major hitches.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education together with ZIMSEC continually review the curriculum and examination process to ensure that they are relevant to Zimbabwe’s socio-economic environment.
Although it is their right, there are some who have continued with the GCE examinations. This draws very heavily on the country’s scarce foreign currency, while some believe that it’s a sign of inferiority complex on the part of the parents, guardians and school children.
Despite the illegal sanctions, examinations continue to be written in Zimbabwe every year.
2020 and 2021 have been seriously affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but adjustments have been made to schools and examinations timetables. Online learning, although not widespread continues to be the game changer in the new normal that will bring about innovations in the education sector.
Online Reporter