Zimta pokes holes into proposed Zimsec Act amendments

The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) has criticised the proposed amendments to the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) Act, arguing that they fall short of restoring credibility to the country's examination system, which has been plagued by leakages, fraud, and governance weaknesses.

The Zimsec Act [Chapter 28:18] (Amendment Bill, 2024), which was approved by Cabinet in April, seeks to tighten controls against examination malpractice by introducing harsh penalties — including a nine-year jail term for those found guilty of leaking exam papers.

It also grants Zimsec the authority to de-register exam centres that fail to comply with minimum operational standards or are implicated in unethical practices. The Bill, which has passed its first reading in the National Assembly, is now awaiting public hearings.

However, Zimta chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu, in submissions made to Parliament last Thursday, said while the proposed changes were long overdue, they lack sufficient depth to address the full spectrum of challenges facing the national assessment system.

"The principal Act of 1994 has become increasingly misaligned with the contemporary demands of assessment credibility, governance accountability, and international benchmarking," Ndlovu stated.

He welcomed the Bill's effort to define "examination malpractice" more broadly, including modern offences such as using smart gadgets, tampering with scripts, and centre-level collusion. But he raised concerns about the proposed uniform penalties, urging a tiered classification system for offences.

"Classify malpractice into tiers - minor, moderate, gross - with graduated penalties. A blanket minimum sentence of two years may not reflect differentiated levels of misconduct or offender status," he said.

Ndlovu also warned against excessive concentration of power in the Zimsec board, noting that the Amendment Bill lacks adequate mechanisms for transparency and independent oversight.

"There is no requirement for public reporting on annulments, investigations or appeals. Zimsec has previously acted with opacity, leading to public distrust," he said.

He recommended mandatory annual disclosure of malpractice statistics and disciplinary cases and called for the creation of an independent examinations ombudsman to handle complaints and appeals.

The push for reform comes after repeated examination leaks - particularly in 2022 and 2023 - led to mass annulments and delayed results, undermining public confidence in Zimsec-administered exams.

Zimta also warned that legislative reform alone would not solve the problem without parallel investment in institutional capacity, stricter timelines, and inclusive stakeholder engagement involving teachers, parents, and learners.

Until 1997, Zimbabwean learners sat for British examinations administered by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. However, since the localisation of exams, Zimsec has been rocked by controversies including paper leaks, mislabelled scripts, and allegations of result manipulation.

"The amendments are a necessary corrective, but their success depends on implementation backed by structural realignment, greater transparency and external accountability," Ndlovu said.

The public hearings on the Bill are expected to give teachers, parents, and learners a platform to push for more robust reforms in Zimbabwe's examination system.