Zimsec lauded for releasing examination results timeously

Herald Reporter
THE Zimbabwe School Examinations Cou-ncil can operate efficiently and produce quality examination standards if it gets enough support from the Government.
Secretary for Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Dr Steven Mahere said this while giving oral evidence before a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education and Culture chaired by Gokwe Constituency legislator, Cde Dorothy Mangami (Zanu-PF).
The committee had invited the ministry’s officials to share with it programmes and activities for this year.
Dr Mahere said Zimsec, which had not been adequately funded over the years produced wonders this year by releasing public examination results after Treasury had timeously injected resources into the parastatal.
“Zimsec this year released “A” and “O” Level results earlier than what the pupils expected. They never anticipated that results would come early, so it is very important to strengthen Zimsec,” said Dr Mahere.
Advanced Level results were released in January and not February, which is the traditional period while Ordinary Level results were released early this month instead of end of February or early March.
Commenting on the difference in quality between Zimsec and Cambridge examinations, Dr Mahere said there was no much difference.
“Most schools left Zimsec to Cambridge in the past years because they believed that it was better than Zimsec.
“They have since discovered that the quality is just the same. A person who passes Cambridge examinations can also pass Zimsec examinations,” said Dr Mahere.
The parastatal, said Dr Mahere, had secured a stand in Norton to install a printing press, a development he said would reduce costs of printing for the entity.
Turning to conditions of service for teachers and officers, Dr Mahere said while general conditions had improved compared to the 2006-2008 era, a lot still needed to be done.
“A headmaster would rather want to remain at his school than to come to district offices or provincial offices to become an education director.
“This is because if he comes, he will lose the vehicle that he was using and incentives that he was getting,” said Dr Mahere.