Zimsec should plug off exam leakages

The issue of exam leakages is a national interest which I feel the Government should quickly address for us parents to avoid loss of confidence that we have in Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) and most schools across the nation.

Apparently, Zimsec should improve security when distributing examination papers to various schools. Instead of headmasters collecting the exam papers individually using public transport, it is necessary for Zimsec to find secured vehicles that will be responsible for distributing the papers to different centres.

It is saddening to hear that the latest scandal to hit Zimsec is the leakage of the 'O' Level Mathematics paper 2 leaked at Seke 5 High School in Chitungwiza. It was reported that the student had the Maths Paper Two exam copied to his mobile phone.

 Surely, can we conclude that Zimsec has failed to plug the loopholes of the exam leakages? Exam papers leakage is just terrible as it have many negative effects.

It is now like a tradition that every exam season a paper from a certain school has to leak an examination paper.

All the people who would be found guilty of leaking exam papers should be punished severely. Personally, I believe that the form of punishment that is currently applied to criminals who leak exam papers is minor hence there are reports on continued exam leakages.

All the people who would be found responsible for the leaks should be severely punished as they will be tarnishing the country's education sector. Punishment should not only be done to students and teachers alone but every guilty people including Zimsec staff.

If they are corrupt officials at Zimsec, the management must first get rid of them thereafter introduce watertight security systems.

Zimsec should monitor all the stages that the exam paper passes through before it goes to the printers. Because of the advancement in technology, it is very important for Zimsec Management to keep a close eye on all the staff handling the exam papers. For example, secretaries in a typing pool should not be allowed to enter the typing room with cellphones or any other electrical gadgets that assist in transmitting of data. If any, Zimsec should also avoid the use of a telephone in a typing room.

In actual fact exam leakages erodes the credibility of the national examination system and the education system.

One would really wonder why it is only Zimsec examination that leaks. Other international examination syndicates like Cambridge have never leaked before.

Surely, if this situation is left uncontrolled, Zimbabwean students holding Zimsec certificates may risk the danger of failing to be accepted in international exams.

Effects of exam leakages comprise Government business. If a leaked exam paper is to be re-written, Government will lose a lot of resources including financial resources. This will indeed strain the countries budget. I think in the event of such situations, Government should avoid re-writing of the exams as this will psychologically affect those who would not have seen the leaked paper. Instead, Government should punish and suspend the culprits.

In a nutshell, Zimsec should try by all means to tighten its security to avoid future exam leakages.