Opinion / Columnist
Grade 7 Zimsec Ndebele Paper 2013 petition
22 Oct 2013 at 13:49hrs | Views
The Ndebele community has launched a petition in response to the Grade 7 Zimsec Ndebele Paper which sparked criticism over its exams system after parents and teachers complained about the 2013 Grade 7 Ndebele paper that contained slang and inappropriate language for primary school pupils.
The Grade 7 Ndebele paper that was written last week contained words that most pupils are not exposed to both at home and school leading to teachers and some veteran educationists from the region questioning the quality and the standard of the paper.
Below is the petition by the Ndebele community - CLICK HERE to sign.
To: Esau Shingirai Nhandara (ZIMSEC Director)
This Petition is a direct response from the Ndebele community in regard to the Grade 7 ZIMSEC Ndebele Paper 2013.
We have read your response and it seems as if you, as a Director, do not feel concerned about the use of improper language in the above mentioned paper. We, the Ndebele community believe that the people you termed as "experts" in approving the above mentioned paper, have to be re- assessed in terms of their knowledge in regard to the Ndebele customs. It is not, in anyway, culturally accepted to put words such as "umangumba, ikhikhitha, isifebe and ukusuza" in a Grade 7 examination paper. It is not advisable to speak these words with children, what more if they are put as an examination for 12 year olds? We believe that denialism to accept the mistake already done will not help in building future respecting, obedient and loyal citizens. As a community we feel that we have been degraded in this incident.
Moreover, we believe that the use of slang in the above mentioned paper is not the right way to test Grade 7 pupils' ability to know their mother tongue. As a Ndebele community, we expect ZIMSEC to do more in preserving the Ndebele language which is the main identity of our culture. Colloquial words like "umangumba" are not culturally progressive but are also an insult when put to the above mentioned paper. There are better ways of testing Grade 7 pupils without including these slang words. What happened to olden ways of examining Grade 7 pupils?
Your experts have demonstrated incompetence and negligence. If they deny their wrong doing, we propose a conference with them where there will be a direct dialogue in regard to this matter to highlight their short-comings. We are looking forward to your response to this petition.
Concerned Ndebele Community
The Grade 7 Ndebele paper that was written last week contained words that most pupils are not exposed to both at home and school leading to teachers and some veteran educationists from the region questioning the quality and the standard of the paper.
Below is the petition by the Ndebele community - CLICK HERE to sign.
To: Esau Shingirai Nhandara (ZIMSEC Director)
This Petition is a direct response from the Ndebele community in regard to the Grade 7 ZIMSEC Ndebele Paper 2013.
We have read your response and it seems as if you, as a Director, do not feel concerned about the use of improper language in the above mentioned paper. We, the Ndebele community believe that the people you termed as "experts" in approving the above mentioned paper, have to be re- assessed in terms of their knowledge in regard to the Ndebele customs. It is not, in anyway, culturally accepted to put words such as "umangumba, ikhikhitha, isifebe and ukusuza" in a Grade 7 examination paper. It is not advisable to speak these words with children, what more if they are put as an examination for 12 year olds? We believe that denialism to accept the mistake already done will not help in building future respecting, obedient and loyal citizens. As a community we feel that we have been degraded in this incident.
Moreover, we believe that the use of slang in the above mentioned paper is not the right way to test Grade 7 pupils' ability to know their mother tongue. As a Ndebele community, we expect ZIMSEC to do more in preserving the Ndebele language which is the main identity of our culture. Colloquial words like "umangumba" are not culturally progressive but are also an insult when put to the above mentioned paper. There are better ways of testing Grade 7 pupils without including these slang words. What happened to olden ways of examining Grade 7 pupils?
Your experts have demonstrated incompetence and negligence. If they deny their wrong doing, we propose a conference with them where there will be a direct dialogue in regard to this matter to highlight their short-comings. We are looking forward to your response to this petition.
Concerned Ndebele Community
Source - Ndebele Community
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