News / Education
Grade 7 exams marking fiasco unearthed
22 Nov 2014 at 09:47hrs | Views
A SHAMEFUL plot to discredit specific primary schools in Manicaland that have the past record of producing good results was unearthed during the recent Grade Seven English Paper Two marking process in Mutare, The Manica Post reported.
The country's schools examination council, Zimsec, whose credibility is at stake, confirmed that it was now investigating the Manicaland scandal.
Zimsec director, Mr Esau Shingirai Nhandara, confirmed that investigations into the matter were underway.
"Zimsec cannot comment on that issue as investigations are still underway. Once we have completed our investigations, we will engage the parties concerned and communicate with you," read part of the brief response from the Zimsec boss.
However, investigations by this newspaper revealed that the Principal Marking Supervisor for Grade Seven English, Mr Chichetu from Mashonaland East, ordered the slashing of marks awarded to candidates from specific schools in Manicaland when he came to Mutare to inspect the English paper marking process.
Under the Zimsec exam marking organogram, a Principal Marking Supervisor for a particular subject, Maths, Shona, General Paper or English, oversees the marking process of that particular subject in all the 10 provinces of the country.
Deputy Principal Marking Supervisors in the 10 provinces manage the day-to-day marking process and report to the subject Principal Marking Supervisor, hence Principal Marking Supervisors barely spend more than a day in a particular province.
During his visit to Mutare during the Grade Seven exams marking exercise, Mr Chichetu is alleged to have shown immense interest in Manicaland by spending four out of 10 marking days inspecting one province. Mr Chichetu allegedly announced his arrival by demanding to see English Paper Two scripts for candidates from Chancellor Primary (Mutare), Gaza Primary (Chipinge), Chipinge Primary (Chipinge), Mutare Junior (Mutare), Mt Mellary (Nyanga), Hartzell Primary (Mutasa) and John Cowie (Rusape), most of which are in the Top 15 performing schools.
He allegedly ordered the slashing of marks for candidates that had 15 out of 20 and above for English composition, an order that was in direct contravention of the guidelines set during the National Standardisation meeting held in Harare just before the marking process started.
The National Standardisation meeting held at Belvedere Teachers College just before the marking process started set the agreed principles to govern the marking process as well as the marking scheme.
The agreed position during the standardisation meeting was that a candidate can get up to 18 out of 20 depending on his or her prowess in the use of language.
Informed sources who confided in this newspaper on condition of anonymity said if a child cannot get a score of 15 and above in the composition section, rarely can he or she can get one unit in English.
More than 100 candidates from top performing schools in Manicaland had their marks unjustifiably slashed as per Mr Chichetu's inexplicable order.
Reliable sources who partook in the marking process said after Mr Chichetu had made his astounding orders confusion ensued as some markers felt intimidated and started unjustifiably slashing marks, while those who had read his intentions started hiding papers.
Interestingly, Mr Chichetu never showed any interest in scripts for poor performing schools in the province, as should have been the case, if his intentions were not sinister. The Grade Seven English Paper Two marking furore comes barely a month after the country's schools examinations council grappled with exam paper leakages at Ordinary Level and the nation now waits with abated breadth for the outcome of the Zimsec investigations into the latest scandal.
Efforts to get Mr Chichetu's comment were fruitless as no-one knew his contact numbers. Those who were said to have the contact details could not release them for fear of victimisation.
The country's schools examination council, Zimsec, whose credibility is at stake, confirmed that it was now investigating the Manicaland scandal.
Zimsec director, Mr Esau Shingirai Nhandara, confirmed that investigations into the matter were underway.
"Zimsec cannot comment on that issue as investigations are still underway. Once we have completed our investigations, we will engage the parties concerned and communicate with you," read part of the brief response from the Zimsec boss.
However, investigations by this newspaper revealed that the Principal Marking Supervisor for Grade Seven English, Mr Chichetu from Mashonaland East, ordered the slashing of marks awarded to candidates from specific schools in Manicaland when he came to Mutare to inspect the English paper marking process.
Under the Zimsec exam marking organogram, a Principal Marking Supervisor for a particular subject, Maths, Shona, General Paper or English, oversees the marking process of that particular subject in all the 10 provinces of the country.
Deputy Principal Marking Supervisors in the 10 provinces manage the day-to-day marking process and report to the subject Principal Marking Supervisor, hence Principal Marking Supervisors barely spend more than a day in a particular province.
During his visit to Mutare during the Grade Seven exams marking exercise, Mr Chichetu is alleged to have shown immense interest in Manicaland by spending four out of 10 marking days inspecting one province. Mr Chichetu allegedly announced his arrival by demanding to see English Paper Two scripts for candidates from Chancellor Primary (Mutare), Gaza Primary (Chipinge), Chipinge Primary (Chipinge), Mutare Junior (Mutare), Mt Mellary (Nyanga), Hartzell Primary (Mutasa) and John Cowie (Rusape), most of which are in the Top 15 performing schools.
He allegedly ordered the slashing of marks for candidates that had 15 out of 20 and above for English composition, an order that was in direct contravention of the guidelines set during the National Standardisation meeting held in Harare just before the marking process started.
The National Standardisation meeting held at Belvedere Teachers College just before the marking process started set the agreed principles to govern the marking process as well as the marking scheme.
The agreed position during the standardisation meeting was that a candidate can get up to 18 out of 20 depending on his or her prowess in the use of language.
Informed sources who confided in this newspaper on condition of anonymity said if a child cannot get a score of 15 and above in the composition section, rarely can he or she can get one unit in English.
More than 100 candidates from top performing schools in Manicaland had their marks unjustifiably slashed as per Mr Chichetu's inexplicable order.
Reliable sources who partook in the marking process said after Mr Chichetu had made his astounding orders confusion ensued as some markers felt intimidated and started unjustifiably slashing marks, while those who had read his intentions started hiding papers.
Interestingly, Mr Chichetu never showed any interest in scripts for poor performing schools in the province, as should have been the case, if his intentions were not sinister. The Grade Seven English Paper Two marking furore comes barely a month after the country's schools examinations council grappled with exam paper leakages at Ordinary Level and the nation now waits with abated breadth for the outcome of the Zimsec investigations into the latest scandal.
Efforts to get Mr Chichetu's comment were fruitless as no-one knew his contact numbers. Those who were said to have the contact details could not release them for fear of victimisation.
Source - manicapost
