The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has rubbished claims by Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Edgar Moyo, that school authorities working in cahoots with police were responsible for the leakage of public examination papers.
In 2022, some candidates had access to Zimbabwe School Examination Council (ZIMSEC) English Language and Mathematics examination papers several days before they were written.
Speaking during the question and answer session in the Senate on 29 March, Moyo said investigations by the Ministry of Education established that the exam leaks happen at schools. He said:
<blockquote>
We also have the police officers who are there and when these papers are being removed from the strong room to the classroom for invigilation, it is not one person who takes those papers.
The whole system is water-tight in terms of security. We have integrity issues with some of our personnel at the school level and where the papers leaked, there was a kind of working together in cahoots by officials at the school.
When people agree and connive to do a crime, usually they will succeed because there is no one who is going to let the cat out of the bag.
</blockquote>
Responding to Moyo’s remarks, ARTUZ said marking schemes and soft copies of the examination papers were leaked on social media platforms, yet schools were never in possession of the documents. ARTUZ said in a statement:
Moyo lied to Senate that exams leak at the School level. We saw marking schemes in circulation. Do schools receive marking schemes?
We saw soft copies of exam papers. Do schools receive soft copies? Our policy brief on exam leakages is accurate.
Last year, <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/school-heads-blame-zimsec-for-exam-leakages/">the National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) pointed at ZIMSEC as the main source of the problem</a>, rather than schools.
According to <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/police-suspect-zimsec-head-office-is-the-source-of-exam-leakages/">a leaked police memorandum, dated 19 October 2022</a>, police said they suspected the soft copies of the papers are leaked by someone at the ZIMSEC head office in Harare.
Last year, 5 156 Advanced and Ordinary level candidates’ results were nullified for having pre-access to examination papers.
The A-Level results were released on 13 January with ZIMSEC withholding results for 195 candidates while the ‘O’ Level ones, where results for 4 961 candidates were nullified.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Schools Not Responsible For Exam Leakages - ARTUZ

The Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Edgar Moyo has absolved the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) of complicity in the leakage of examination papers.
Speaking during the question and answer session in the Senate on 29 March, Moyo said school authorities working in cahoots with police officers were responsible for the leakage of examinations. The <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/schools-connive-with-police-to-leak-exams-minister/">Chronicle</a> quoted Moyo as saying:
<blockquote>
We also have the police officers who are there and when these papers are being removed from the strong room to the classroom for invigilation, it is not one person who takes those papers.
The whole system is water-tight in terms of security. We have integrity issues by some of our personnel at the school level and where the papers leaked, there was a kind of working together in cahoots by officials at the school.
When people agree and connive to do a crime, usually they will succeed because there is no one who is going to let the cat out of the bag.
</blockquote>
Moyo said the process of producing an exam paper starts at ZIMSEC offices and is automated. He said:
<blockquote>
Our papers are developed by paper developers and then they are put into what is called a grade maker, which system banks the questions and which system uses random pick up of question papers.
There is no interface between the question papers and human beings. All those things are automated.
Then the transfer of those papers from ZIMSEC head office to our Norton printing press is done technologically and there is again no human interface. It is wired to the machines.
Those machines are just feeding codes and then the paper is run and again there is no interface until the paper is packed.
People will be just watching and papers will just be rolling. They are being cut, and packaged and the whole system would have been set, then the papers will go out.
The only interface is when those papers are then put into boxes to be delivered to schools.
… If you look at what happened last year, you will find that the leaks of those papers did not occur anywhere between head office, printing and delivery of papers to the centres.
The evidence that we have is that the papers leaked when they were at school.
</blockquote>
Moyo also said most of the exam leaks occur at schools run by acting headmasters, who have nothing to protect. He said:
<blockquote>
It is happening in the sense that in most of those schools where we have paper leaks, the personnel there are usually acting heads of schools and not substantive heads.
We have been talking to PSC to ensure that most of our heads are graded to substantive level so that they have something to protect.
Those who are just acting have nothing to protect and they just let go of things.
</blockquote>
Last year, 5 156 Advanced and Ordinary level candidates’ results were nullified for having pre-access to examination papers.
In February this year, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Evelyn Ndlovu said the Government intends to appoint an Independent Commission of Inquiry to assess whether ZIMSEC is doing the right thing or they are leaking the examination papers.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Schools, Police Officers Responsible For Exam Leakages - Minister

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has launched criminal investigations into the leakage of several Zimbabwe Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) examination question papers.
To date, Ordinary level English Paper 2 and  Mathematics Paper 2  leaked into the public domain, with some of the suspects already having been arrested.
ZRP national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said so far eleven cases of exam leakages have been reported throughout the country. He said:
<blockquote>
Due to the numerous media inquiries on the response of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the Police confirm that it is conducting criminal investigations in connection with the leakage and circulation of the 2022 ‘O’ Level ZIMSEC examination papers throughout the country.
So far, eleven (11) cases have been reported to the Police in all parts of the country.
The general public and the media are requested to direct all administrative issues concerning the examination leakage to ZIMSEC while the Police handle the criminal investigations.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police will ensure that arrests are effected on anyone who is illegally circulating examination papers on social media and physically to the public.
</blockquote>

Police Probe ZIMSEC Exam Leakages

School heads have blamed the Zimbabwe School Examination Council (ZIMSEC) for recurring exam leakages that have undermined the integrity of the country’s public examinations.
ZIMSEC itself has confirmed the leakage of the 2022 November Ordinary Level Mathematics Paper One but reports suggest that more papers could have been leaked.
School heads pointed at ZIMSEC as the main source of the problem, rather than schools.
National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) chair Arthur Maphosa told <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/zimsec-under-fire-over-leaks/">The Herald</a> the leakage of examinations is unfair on candidates, teachers and parents who would have worked hard preparing for the examinations only for them to be nullified. Said Maphosa:
<blockquote>
It is sad that after all the time we take preparing learners and you just hear of these leakages.
You just feel sorry for the learners, teachers and parents. It is bad and it needs to end.
Nonetheless, the problem is not at schools. I think it is emanating from ZIMSEC and they need to tighten their security to avoid the leakages.
Also, some private schools might be partly to blame. The way some run the examination processes is suspicious like the things we hear that some teachers prepare for examinations with learners up to the last night of the exam in what they call an examination gala.
</blockquote>
National Association of Primary Heads (NAPH) chair Cynthia Khumalo said primary schools were not affected by the leaks, but added that ZIMSEC should ensure that the integrity of exams is protected. She said:
<blockquote>
From our end, we did not encounter any challenges, but that it is happening is a huge cause for concern.
We need to protect the credibility of our education system. ZIMSEC needs to tighten its security system for the integrity of our examinations.
For public schools, I do not think there is any challenge in administering exams. The challenge is with some private schools and there is a need to further scrutinise private schools before they are allowed to stage examinations.
We are gathering information and ZIMSEC will issue a statement. We want this issue to be dealt with expeditiously. Now it is a criminal case and we expect the law to take its course.
As Government schools, we do not condone such behaviour. The integrity of our exams is sacrosanct and needs to be protected.
We also urge parents, teachers, learners and all stakeholders to reject, resist and report corrupt elements near our education system.
</blockquote>
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), has blamed ZIMSEC for the exam leakages.
A leaked <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/police-suspect-zimsec-head-office-is-the-source-of-exam-leakages/">police memo dated 19 October 2022 revealed that Ordinary Level English Paper 2 and Mathematics Paper 2 were leaked</a> with some of the suspects already having been arrested.

Zimsec Latest News

Latest Jobs