No CALAs, No Examination Results

Primary and Secondary Education Deputy Minister Edgar Moyo has said students will not get their examination results if they do not have the continuous assessment learning activities (CALAs) marks.

Speaking to Sunday News, Moyo also confirmed that Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) examinations commence on 29 November. He said:

Government is going ahead with the implementation of CALAs, which is now a policy. For students to get full marks they should have done CALAs, if not, they will not get the examination results. The dates have already been set with examinations set to begin on 29 November.

CALAs is a new assessment that requires learners to perform and to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and proficiency.

It presents a situation that calls for learners to apply their learning in context, with research projects being done.

CALAs form part of the weighted contribution to learner performance outcome at Grade 7, Form 4 and Upper 6 final examination.

It is the assessment of a pupil’s progress throughout a course of the study rather than exclusively by examination at the end of it.

According to the policy framework, the new grading system will see Grade 7 final results determined by 30 per cent of continuous assessment and 70 per cent on national examinations.

At Form 4, the framework states that learners’ grades will be based on 40 per cent for theoretical examination, 30 per cent for practical examination and 30 per cent for continuous assessment.

For the Advanced level, continuous assessment carries 30 per cent with the bulk of the marks going to the final examination.

While the continuous assessment framework ultimately sets out what learners are expected to know and be able to do as a direct result of their learning in schools and non-formal education, starting from early childhood development (ECD) to secondary level, at the moment it only applies to examination classes.

More: Sunday News