The measures include profiling of school heads and schools
handling examination papers and amending the Zimsec Act to ensure a deterrent
custodial sentence is imposed on those found guilty of leaking the papers.
The June exams are expected to see a majority of candidates
being non-formal as those in the formal education system still need to complete
their Continuous Assessment and Learning Activities (CALA).
In an interview with Sunday News, Zimsec spokesperson Miss
Nicky Dhlamini said Advanced Level examinations will commence on 15 May while
the Ordinary Level commence on 29 May.
“The Zimsec June examinations are scheduled to begin with
A-level commencing on 15 May while O-level exams start on 29 May. We are ready
but let me hasten to say the bulk of those sitting for the June session are
re-sitting candidates. Those currently within the school system, that is formal
candidates are yet to complete their Continuous Assessment Learning Activities.
“These are mostly scheduled to sit for their examinations
in November. Zimsec has put in place various security measures and will be
working with partners and stakeholders to ensure the security of examinations
is not compromised,” she said.
Director of Communication and Advocacy in the Ministry of
Primary and Secondary Education Mr Taungana Ndoro said all was in place for the
candidates sitting for their examinations saying they expect an improved pass
rate.
“We have noted that most of the candidates who will be
sitting for the June exams are private candidates or what we call non-formal
who did not do well in their previous sittings. These have passed their CALA,
have been assessed and we have submitted the results to Zimsec and they
continue to write.
“The bulk of our examination classes are going to be
writing in November and their state of preparedness is very high. There was a
time when they were facing challenges with the Continuous Assessment Learning
Activities (CALA) but now they have adjusted to it including the teachers and
schools. We have also come out of Covid-19 and we have adjusted so we are
expecting that when we write our examinations in November our pass rate is
going to increase tremendously,” he said.
He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to the security
of examination papers saying they have put in place various measures to ensure
the security was water tight.
“The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education had the
privilege of touring the Zimsec facilities about two months ago, being taken
through the entire process of the examination from encrypting to distribution.
Thus, at Zimsec we did not find any fault and the security is very tight. We
noted that the problem is with issues of integrity of some of the persons who
are responsible for handling the examination papers at the school. You will
notice that last year the paper which leaked was because a deputy head was the
one who leaked it, scanned it and sent it through to others who then started
selling it,” he said.
He said the Ministry now has a strict profiling on which
schools and which heads are going to be the custodian of the papers.
We are also working with the Parliament of Zimbabwe where
we are at a very advanced stage of amending the Zimsec Act. The Act will now
make any leakage susceptible to imprisonment with a deterrent sentence,” he
said.
The June examinations were suspended over the past few
years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. – Sunday News
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