Preparedness To Determine ZIMSEC Exam Dates - Govt
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education says it will assess the preparedness of learners to write the Zimbabwe School Examination Council (ZIMSEC) exams this year before the specific dates for the exams are set.
Schools reopened for examination classes on 30 September and non-exam classes on 6 September amid concerns that learners will not be prepared to sit for public examinations this year, especially considering that the term ends on 17 December 2021.
While some schools have been conducting virtual lessons and radio lessons, there have been concerns that some learners, mainly those in rural areas, have technology access issues and were not benefiting from the intervention.
On Monday the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education launched a toll-free line, and parents used the opportunity to express their concerns about the preparedness of their children to write exams.
Responding to the concerns later in an interview with State media, Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo said:
One of the concerns raised by parents was on the preparedness of the children for exams.
At the moment I can’t say anything definite about the exam calendar, but as the term continues, we will be assessing the preparedness of learners and we will be getting updates on the progress being made in schools and then the ministry will make an informed decision, which will be in the best interest of learners.
We have launched a toll-free line 317, which is a platform for stakeholders to get in touch will the ministry.
We tested the toll-free line during the launch and we received calls from parents who were airing out their concerns.
Meanwhile, teachers’ unions have argued that learners are not prepared as they lost learning time during the prolonged COVID-19 breaks, basically a full term of school.
They want examinations to be postponed to next year when pupils will have ample time to catch up on time lost during the lockdown.
