Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
CANDIDATES sitting for this year’s Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations began their final assessments yesterday, with education authorities in Manicaland expressing confidence in the province’s state of preparedness.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s Chief Director for Manicaland Province, Mr Richard Gabaza, said all examination centres, including cluster and school-based centres, are fully prepared for the smooth administration of the examinations.
“The O and A-Level examinations commence in earnest this week, starting today. We are confident that the examinations will begin and proceed without incident because of the extensive preparations that have been undertaken,” said Mr Gabaza.
He said both ZIMSEC and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had conducted comprehensive staff development programmes on examination administration and management across all districts.
“Every district conducted training programmes, which were subsequently cascaded to schools. These workshops covered all critical aspects of examination administration, including invigilation and the handling of examination materials,” he said.
Mr Gabaza said schools designated as cluster centres were identified well in advance through a clusterisation process, allowing centre managers sufficient time to put in place the necessary logistical and administrative arrangements.
“All examination centres, whether cluster-based or school-based, are adequately prepared to handle all matters related to examination administration. We are satisfied with the level of preparedness and expect the examinations to start smoothly and continue without disruptions throughout the examination period,” he said.
He added that the province was optimistic about maintaining its reputation for academic excellence.
“We are looking forward to another strong performance from our learners and hope to emerge among the leading provinces in the country. Manicaland has a long-standing tradition of academic excellence, and we expect our candidates to uphold that legacy,” said Mr Gabaza.
He also called for divine guidance and protection for all personnel involved in the examination process.
“We pray for God’s guidance as our staff carry out their responsibilities in the administration and management of these examinations,” he said.
On security, Mr Gabaza said stringent measures had been put in place to safeguard the integrity of the examinations and prevent leakages.
“All examination centres have the required security systems and facilities to ensure that question papers and answer scripts are securely handled. We do not anticipate any breaches of examination security,” he said.
Mr Gabaza said mechanisms were in place to deal decisively with any incidents that might arise.
“In the unlikely event of a security breach, investigations will be conducted in line with the provisions of the relevant statutory instruments. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against any individuals found to have violated examination regulations,” he said.
