THE Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) public
examinations started yesterday with candidates expressing satisfaction with the
level of Covid-19 preparedness at examination centres.
Ordinary level candidates sat for English Paper 1 in the
morning and Combined Science Paper 1 in the afternoon.
Advanced Level candidates wrote Literature in English Paper
1 in the morning and Chemistry Paper 1 in the afternoon. A majority of the
candidates were supplementing previously failed subjects.
The candidates said the schools had adequately prepared
following Covid-19 prevention measures while teachers’ unions said the Ministry
of Primary and Secondary Education had not done enough to get schools ready for
the public examinations.
Miss Grace Moyo, who was writing Combined Science at
Mpopoma High School, said the school told them to arrive 45 minutes before the
actual sitting.
“This was to allow for sanitisation of hands, among other
issues that relate to Covid-19. When we arrived at the school, they recorded
our personal details, where we stay, cellphone numbers among other things,”
said Miss Moyo, who aspires to study Accounting at Bulawayo Polytechnic.
She said she initially wrote her O-Levels in 2018 before
relocating to South Africa. Miss Moyo said it was difficult to prepare for the
examination due to Covid-19 as she could not study with other candidates.
Another private candidate who wrote the same examination,
Miss Sandile Ncube, said they were checked for temperature when they arrived at
the examination centre.
“After that we were sanitised and face masks were given to
those who did not have them. I think they did everything that is required to
ensure that no one is exposed to Covid-19. Soon after writing the examination,
we were told to leave the premises,” said Miss Ncube.
Takunda Moyo, a Form Six student at Mpopoma High School,
said Covid-19-induced national lockdown affected him in preparing for the
examinations.
He expressed satisfaction with the level of Covid-19
adherence at school. In Gweru, examinations commenced as scheduled amid
concerns from Zimta that not all schools had adhered to Covid-19 prevention
measures.
While most urban schools have been producing PPEs, rural
schools across the Midlands province were found wanting as pupils were forced
to bring their own face masks.
Transport was another challenge as there were no Zupco
buses or commuter omnibuses designated for pupils going to schools such as
Fletcher, Chaplin and Thornhill high schools from suburbs such as Mkoba and
Senga in Gweru.
“Learners didn’t have transport and we hope tomorrow it
will be there. We asked for a thermometer from the local clinic because we
can’t afford one but we are glad the examinations went on well,” said a
headmaster from a school in Mkoba suburb, on condition of anonymity.
In Matabeleland South, Provincial Education Director, Mr
Bernard Mazambani said the province had 81 examination centres with public
tests being conducted without incident.
“As a province we ensured that we were prepared for the
opening of schools for examination writing. We have teams moving around schools
monitoring the process and we haven’t received reports of problems. Social
distancing is being observed at our examination centres. We have set up a
number of points where candidates can sanitise their hands to avoid delays and
invigilators were adequately trained,” said Mr Mazambani.
“Temperatures are being checked at all centres. We got 40
more thermometers in addition to those which were bought by institutions and
those provided by the Ministry of Health and Child Care which has enabled us to
use more than one thermometer at centres with many candidates.”
In Matabeleland North, examinations started well in Hwange
District. Zimsec had to settle for Chamabondo Primary School as an alternative
centre as Mosi-oa-Tunya High School is being used as a quarantine centre for
returning residents.
A news crew visited Chamabondo Primary School and observed
conventional and private candidates queued at the gate for temperature check and
hand washing. They were all wearing masks while teachers were helping them to
maintain social distancing as they filed towards the seven examination rooms
set for the exercise.
The candidates had their hands sanitised again in the
examination rooms where sitting arrangement was two metres apart.
Mosi-oa-Tunya High School head Mr Roland Sibanda said 208
Ordinary and Advanced level candidates registered with the school for the June
examinations.
“We had a challenge notifying all candidates but the
majority have come. We’ve some coming from as far as Robins Camp who had a
challenge with network as they were locked there but we finally managed to
reach them. We’ve tried to enforce all recommended regulations and we are
thankful to the municipality because they disinfected the centres yesterday.
For the practical examinations, we have been informed that we can use ours at
Mosi-oa-Tunya which is a relief because we were wondering how we were going to
manage here,” said Mr Sibanda.
His counterpart at Mkhosana Seventh Day Adventist Mr
Ndabezinhle Masuku said they addressed the candidates about safety issues
before the examination. Covid-19 education material was distributed and pasted
at entrance points at both schools.
Zimta president, Mr Richard Gundani, said the exams went on
against their will.
He said no teachers had been tested for Covid-19 yet they
went on and conducted the examinations putting the lives of learners at risk.
“Some schools didn’t have PPEs and so in a nutshell, the
first phase of reopening of schools was marked with gaps. But we will tag along
in spite of all this. As Zimta and other unions we issued a cautionary
statement saying this has happened against our advice because not all the
schools have totally complied with Covid-19 prevention measures,” said Mr
Gundani.
Primary and Secondary Education spokesperson Mr Patrick
Zumbo said the ministry was satisfied with the first day of public
examinations.
“The examination started well and we haven’t heard any
concerns from candidates. We are very happy with how the examinations have
commenced,” said Mr Zumbo. Chronicle
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