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Susan Nyabunze Harare Bureau
Pupils who sat for their 2014 Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council Ordinary Level English Language papers 1 and 2 and Mathematics papers 1 and 2 will have to resit after it emerged that the papers were leaked at a school in the Midlands last week.In a statement yesterday, Zimsec board chairperson Professor Levy Nyagura said the exams were to be replaced and scheduled to a date to be announced by the end of this week.
“Replacement papers are now being set and will be distributed to all examination centres so that the examination is taken before schools close for the third term,” said Prof Nyagura.
“The timetable for the replacement papers will be distributed to examination centres week ending 14 November 2014.”
Zimsec said the move, made in consultation with Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Dr Lazarus Dokora, was crucial despite the inconvenience it posed to a majority of candidates.
“We acknowledge the trauma that this is going to cause the majority of candidates who had prepared adequately for the original papers who are now having to go through the writing of the new papers for the second time,” said Prof Nyagura.
“This is unavoidable in order to guarantee the integrity and credibility of the examination system.”
The statement came after The Sunday News of November 9 reported that Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive Sifiso Ndlovu had said candidates would not resit the exam.
Ndlovu was reported as having said that the papers had leaked at a very small centre and only a few candidates were affected, and that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had resolved that there would be no need for candidates to resit the examination.
The papers were leaked at Whata Secondary School in Lower Gweru and six school officials, the headmaster, four teachers and a cook have since been arrested.
Last year, Geography paper 2 and Integrated Science were leaked in the Midlands province leading to their cancellation.
In 2012, at least 13 Ordinary Level examinations had to be reset at a cost of $850,000 after a headmaster lost the exam papers while travelling by public transport from Bulawayo to his rural school.
derick.khumalo