News / Education
'Cambridge exams illegal in Zimbabwe'
01 Apr 2014 at 08:37hrs | Views
The ministry of Primary and Secondary Education's acting provincial director for Harare Province, Edward Shumba said Zimbabwe's Education Act outlaws participation of foreign education bodies in the country's examination systems and that teachers needed to comply with a government directive to stop holiday lessons as our children need to refresh.
Education minister, Lazarus Dokora refused to say much when asked to clarify government's position on the issue and what the government was doing to correct the illegality since Section 63 of the Education Act says the secretary shall determine the curricular and examination systems for all schools.
About 30% of exam classes, 75 000 children who sit for ordinary level exams could be affected by this.
According to the Education Act's Section 63 under Curricula and Examinations says: "The secretary shall determine the curricula and examination systems for all schools and in doing so shall not determine different curricular and different examination systems for different schools on the grounds that they are government schools or non-government schools."
Government mooted the idea of localising Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations as far back as 1983 and progressively weaned the then examination branch which was affiliated to Britain Cambridge University as an examination syndicate until the year 2000 when the first fully managed 'O' level examinations were conducted under the supervision of a new body known as the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC).
In 2002, the first 'A' Level locally managed examination were held to complete an almost two decade process of localization, but ZIMSEC continued to be dogged by credibility problems, including leakages of examination material almost every year.
Private schools and some government schools continue to offer Cambridge University monitored examinations and if government moves to stop the administration of such examinations in the country, hundreds of thousands of children could be prejudiced.
Recently, a Zanu-PF legislator demanded the reinstatement of Cambridge examinations to replace the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (Zimsec).
Fani Phiri said Zimsec has been associated with examination paper leakages which have discredited the body.
The latest 2013 'O' Level exam results saw a 2 percent rise in the pass rate to 20 percent.
"We continue to have leakages in Zimsec. Did this contribute to the low pass rate we have been having for the past few years, since we started the Zimsec?
"This has discredited our education so can we revert back to Cambridge examinations?" asked Phiri.
However, Lazarus Dokora, Primary and Secondary Education, minister defended Zimsec saying it was introduced in the education system in consultation with Cambridge Examination Board and is internationally-recognised.
Education minister, Lazarus Dokora refused to say much when asked to clarify government's position on the issue and what the government was doing to correct the illegality since Section 63 of the Education Act says the secretary shall determine the curricular and examination systems for all schools.
About 30% of exam classes, 75 000 children who sit for ordinary level exams could be affected by this.
According to the Education Act's Section 63 under Curricula and Examinations says: "The secretary shall determine the curricula and examination systems for all schools and in doing so shall not determine different curricular and different examination systems for different schools on the grounds that they are government schools or non-government schools."
Government mooted the idea of localising Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations as far back as 1983 and progressively weaned the then examination branch which was affiliated to Britain Cambridge University as an examination syndicate until the year 2000 when the first fully managed 'O' level examinations were conducted under the supervision of a new body known as the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC).
In 2002, the first 'A' Level locally managed examination were held to complete an almost two decade process of localization, but ZIMSEC continued to be dogged by credibility problems, including leakages of examination material almost every year.
Recently, a Zanu-PF legislator demanded the reinstatement of Cambridge examinations to replace the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (Zimsec).
Fani Phiri said Zimsec has been associated with examination paper leakages which have discredited the body.
The latest 2013 'O' Level exam results saw a 2 percent rise in the pass rate to 20 percent.
"We continue to have leakages in Zimsec. Did this contribute to the low pass rate we have been having for the past few years, since we started the Zimsec?
"This has discredited our education so can we revert back to Cambridge examinations?" asked Phiri.
However, Lazarus Dokora, Primary and Secondary Education, minister defended Zimsec saying it was introduced in the education system in consultation with Cambridge Examination Board and is internationally-recognised.
Source - Zim Mail
