Chronicle EditorFlora Fadzai Sibanda, [email protected]
THE post Covid-19 Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) June examinations are progressing well and the candidates writing the tests are those supplementing.
Ordinary and Advanced Level June examinations were suspended in 2021 following disruptions caused by Covid-19.
The decision to suspend the Zimsec June examinations arose from the delays in sitting the public examinations at the end of 2020 and the alterations of the 2021 standard education calendar.
The last June examinations written in 2020 had 54 645 candidates who sat for their Ordinary Level compared to 75 055 candidates in 2019, translating to a 27,19 percent decrease. A total of 3 501 candidates sat for five or more subjects and 627 passed with grade C or better.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Mr Taungana Ndoro said the candidates started writing the examinations in May and so far schools have not faced any challenges.
He said because of Continuous Assessment Learning Activity (CALA) there are no Ordinary level learners sitting for the examinations since they have not yet finished their CALA, which disqualifies them from writing the mid-year examinations.
Mr Ndoro said those re-sitting for examinations are able to do so since they already have their CALA submitted the previous year.
CALA is valid for two years.
“We are happy with the progress so far and we hope it will continue like that,” said Mr Ndoro.
In the November 2022 examinations, a number of candidates, teachers and some school heads were arrested for cheating. More than 5 000 Advanced and Ordinary Level candidates had their results nullified for having pre-access to examination papers.
The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) said it nullified results of 195 A-Level candidates and 4 961 O-Level candidates.
The examinations body said it will deregister schools and examination centres found guilty of leaking the exam papers. Zimbabwe’s education system is an envy of many countries hence students who complete A-Level can be enrolled at any university in the world.
Zimbabwean students graduating from its universities and other tertiary institutions are also recognised internationally because the country has been able to maintain very high education standards.
Zimsec has said it will come up with watertight systems to control the movement of exam papers to stop the leakages which are threatening to bring the exams system into disrepute.–@flora_sibanda
Online Reporter