Security of exam papers is Zimsec’s sole responsibility

examinations are a security issue and Zimsec officials are fully aware of that.
Yet their seriousness in handling the exam papers has been under the spotlight almost each year.
Trusting headmasters, some of whom are known for their faulty behaviour, to move around with the exam papers is simply not the way to go.
Surely, a headmaster being a mortal, encounters several temptations between the collection point and the school.
The headmaster can decide to pass through a relative’s house.
And imagine the urge to show the sister’s children the exam papers they will be sitting for in a week’s time.
What if the headmaster is tempted to pass through the local beer hall with the examination papers in his pocket?
Zimsec must simply not thrust the exam papers in the hands of individuals whose movements they cannot monitor.
To gain confidence in future, the national examination board must ensure that they deliver the papers directly to the schools.
Of course, Zimsec will raise transport problems as defence.
But there are ways to go around it.
Why not provide fuel and “hire” vehicles from the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture to deliver the papers to each school in the cluster? District education officers from the ministry could come in handy here. 
Even the chief’s official vehicle can become handy where the ministry cannot avail the transport.
This way Zimsec will ensure that at least the papers arrive at their destinations in a proper state.
Zimsec can still encounter problems of leaks even after successfully delivering the examination papers at schools.
This means the examination board has to invoke its tight security measures around the places where the papers are kept.
Zimsec has to check through its structures that every examination centre has a strong room to keep the papers safe.
The strong room must have all the security measures in place so that “thieves” do not easily break in.
Why not ensure that each examination centre employs a credible security guard during the examination period to guard the papers?
But the tight security measures must start from the factory where the papers are printed.
A printer with a child set to sit for the examinations would obviously be tempted to sneak out with one or two papers.
Zimsec recently received applause when it became the first African examination board to embrace e-marking and e-registration.
But this is dented by the embarrassing incidents when it has to deal with exam papers being lost just like that.
Zimsec had to withhold O-Level results only last month for mathematics for a Harare college after the paper leaked.
The examination board then admitted that private colleges always cause a “headache” during examinations.
We do not expect such utterances from Zimsec considering that it has been in business since the 1990s.
Many people welcomed the establishment of Zimsec as a way of weaning the examination system from former colonisers,   Britain.
Before Zimsec, pupils used to write both O and A-Level examinations set by Cambridge University from Britain.
During those days, reports of missing papers or leaks were rare.
But this has now become a norm.
Zimsec must not lose control of the examination process for it to gain confidence from the public.
The Bulawayo incident has obviously caused anxiety among candidates, parents and guardians.
Clearly defined standards of handling the examination papers would avoid embarrassment for Zimsec in future.