Govt Reviews Implementation Of CALAs
The government is reviewing the implementation of the Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALAs) following stakeholders’ recommendations to shelve it for now as learners need more time to catch up on their school work.
CALAS were expected to be introduced at the beginning of the second term in preparation for the November 2021 Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) examinations.
However, Government has deferred the opening of schools by 14 days due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby leaving even less time for the implementation of the programme.
Under CALAs, candidates’ physical and behavioural skills will be assessed continuously through coursework that will contribute 30 per cent to their final marks.
Chief Director (Secondary and Non-Formal Education) in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Peter Muzawazi, said:
There is constant review of the process and we are getting a lot of feedback from our partners.
Pupils stand a better chance of scoring higher marks with CALAs but we need to roll this out properly.
… It (CALAs) is a wonderful programme, a game-changer in the education sector. We are the leading African country in making our education holistic.
School heads petitioned the Government to defer the implementation of the CALAs saying the situation in schools was not ideal for its introduction.
National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) president, Arthur Maphosa, said while his association is in full support of CALAs, the timing is wrong. He said:
CALAs has to be deferred to 2022, starting with the Grade Sixes, Form Threes and Lower Sixes of that year, otherwise, anything else will be equal to fulfilling a fixture of a dead rubber game.
