Online Reporter
Gabriel Manyeruke
The recent announcement by Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo — endorsed by Cabinet — that all schools in this country must register candidates for the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) tests from 2027 has ignited debate across the education sector.
Parents, teachers, learners and policymakers are grappling with the implications of this directive.
As a classroom practitioner who has taught both Zimsec and Cambridge syllabuses, and having consulted school leaders, I wish to unpack this policy, clarify misconceptions and guide the nation towards a balanced understanding.
Education rooted in
national identity
For any nation to progress, its education system must be anchored in its own ethos, values and developmental challenges.
Zimsec exams are not inferior to Cambridge tests, as often perceived.
They are internationally recognised, with graduates admitted to universities worldwide — including Harvard and Oxford — without limitation.
Moreover, top Zimsec achievers have secured prestigious scholarships, proving the credibility of the system.
The Heritage-Based Curriculum (HBC), which underpins Zimsec, seeks to produce learners who can identify and solve local problems using available resources.
A dual system, where Cambridge dominates elite schools while Zimsec serves the majority, risks perpetuating dependency on foreign frameworks and undermining national cohesion.
Cambridge: A foreign lens
Cambridge exams, though respected, are designed primarily for the United Kingdom.
Their syllabuses often emphasise Eurocentric content, sidelining Zimbabwean history, traditions and economic realities.
For instance, Cambridge history largely ignores Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle, depriving learners of patriotic grounding. Similarly, case studies in agriculture and mining rarely reflect Zimbabwe’s resource base, leaving learners disconnected from their environment.
This foreign orientation risks producing graduates who admire external systems while undervaluing their own.
A curriculum that fails to instil national pride and contextual problem-solving cannot fully serve Zimbabwe’s developmental agenda.
Strengths and weaknesses
Supporters of Cambridge rightly highlight its emphasis on knowledge application, critical thinking and practical assessment.
Zimsec, historically criticised for being overly theoretical, must evolve to match this strength. Encouragingly, the HBC has already introduced project-based learning and practical components across subjects, bridging the gap between theory and application.
Concerns about exam leakages in Zimsec are valid.
But recent reforms — including tighter security and legal prosecution of offenders — have significantly reduced such incidents.
Integrity must remain a priority if Zimsec is to command full confidence.
The cost divide
One of the starkest contrasts between the two systems lies in affordability.
Cambridge exams cost upwards of US$100 per subject, pricing out ordinary families.
Zimsec, at less than US$20 per subject, ensures inclusivity and equity.
The perception of Cambridge’s superiority is often tied to its exclusivity, creating a false hierarchy that divides learners along economic lines.
Education should bridge social gaps, not widen them.
Alignment with national goals
Zimsec is synchronised with Zimbabwe’s universities and the Education 5.0 framework, which emphasises innovation, industrialisation and problem-solving.
Cambridge graduates often face a disconnect when enrolling locally, as their preparation is geared towards foreign institutions. Those who study abroad may return with qualifications misaligned to Zimbabwe’s economic needs.
By contrast, Zimsec ensures continuity from primary to tertiary education, producing graduates equipped to contribute meaningfully to national development.
While embracing Zimsec, Zimbabwe must not ignore Cambridge’s strengths.
Zimsec should emulate Cambridge’s robust resource support systems, such as the Cambridge School Support Hub, which provides syllabuses, examiner reports, exemplar scripts, schemes of work and a community where facilitators share ideas to improve expertise across subjects.
A similar digital platform would empower teachers and learners, ensuring quality delivery.
Regular online and physical workshops should also be expanded to develop teachers’ skills and ensure academic excellence.
Curriculum revision cycles must be shortened to keep pace with global trends.
Failure to update syllabuses risks leaving learners with outdated skills.
Zimsec must, therefore, combine national relevance with international competitiveness.
Global comparisons
Zimbabwe is not alone in prioritising national exams.
South Africa’s Matric (National Senior Certificate) is overwhelmingly dominant, with Cambridge serving only a minority in independent schools.
In the UK itself, Cambridge is not the sole board — AQA and Edexcel are equally prominent.
Zimbabwe’s move is thus consistent with global practice: nations prioritising their own systems while allowing limited space for international alternatives.
The way forward
The Government’s directive is not an attack on Cambridge but a call to consolidate national identity through education.
Stakeholders should embrace Zimsec while demanding continuous improvement in its delivery, integrity and resource support.
Cambridge can remain as an optional supplement, but it must not overshadow the national system.
Zimbabweans must understand that education is not merely about certificates — it is about shaping citizens who can solve local problems, harness national resources and drive development.
Zimsec, aligned with the HBC, is designed for this purpose.
The transition to Zimsec for all schools is, therefore, a bold step towards educational sovereignty. It is a call to trust our own systems, refine them where necessary and ensure that every child — regardless of background — has access to quality, affordable and nationally relevant education.
Gabriel Manyeruke is an author and educator at Wise Owl High School in Marondera. Feedback [email protected]
