BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Government has approved an amendment bill which seeks to deregister schools that do not comply with Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) standards, amid rise of leaked examination papers amongst children.
The cabinet made the announcement during the ninth cabinet meeting of 2023 on Tuesday as proposed by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
“The nation is being informed that the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) Act [Chapter 25:18] was enacted in 1994. Since then, numerous developments have occurred in the education sector as well as anomalies that have come to the attention of the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education which require amendment of the Act, ” post-cabinet minutes read.
“The Bill, therefore, seeks to align the Act with the various developments that have taken place since its enactment.
“Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that the Bill would be amended to give power to deregister examination centres that do not comply with ZIMSEC standards of appropriate examination centres.”
A number of ZIMSEC O Level examination papers leaked before pupils sat for their final examinations last year.
The ZIMSEC markers said in some centres, the majority of pupils got exceptionally questionable high marks of up to 100% for Combined Science Paper 2 and others, raising eyebrows.
The suspiciously high marks were mostly recorded at schools in Harare.
Cabinet said the Bill will also strengthen the independence and efficiency of the ZIMSEC board by equipping it with the necessary skilled persons that can adequately meet ZIMSEC’s mandate.
“In the new Bill the Board will be given powers to withhold examination results pending investigations by ZIMSEC in cases of examination malpractice such as leakages.
” Persons who handle examinations material and all those who work closely with ZIMSEC will take an oath of secrecy.
“Furthermore, a section will be introduced to deal
with issues pertaining to conflict of interest among ZIMSEC employees and those that gain access to examination materials.”
Section 35 will be amended to provide additional offences and to further enumerate acts of examination malpractice and their penalties.
” The nation is being informed that it is envisaged the proposals will ensure that the quality of examination services will continue to match world standards.
” The Bill will also arrest the vice of examination leakages by introducing stiffer penalties in order to deal effectively with offenders.”