The confusion and chaos at ZIMSEC seem to have no end as students continue to write their hurried examinations. Last week we learnt that certain papers had leaked. Later we learnt that this was all because of a worker who worked in the company’s printing department. In a bid to make money on the side he sneaked copies of English and Maths papers which he later sold. Nobody knows how many people saw this paper before writing.
Then there was the Geography scandal which the authorities again sought to downplay. Candidates were given a paper without the requisite maps. There were delays as school heads scurried about like headless chickens looking for solutions. As always those in charge claim it was not a big deal and everything went well. Now we have learnt something, statements of entry said the Agriculture examination was supposed to be written yesterday 17 December when in fact the official timetable said it should have been written last week.
The standard operating procedure is that if there is a conflict between what appears on the statement of entry, candidates should follow the timetable.
Candidates who wrote Agriculture started to go to their centres from the first of December so they were able to see the timetable at their centres.
So I will be very much surprised where a candidate says that they failed to write because I was reading my statement of entry and not the timetable.
Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) director Lazarus Nembaware
Authorities claim that no one was affected by this mishap but nobody should believe them. There has been stories of how quite a number of students failed to write this paper. They only discovered this after the paper had been written on Friday. There was no communication in public media with ZIMSEC announcing this error. They just sprung it on kids. No apologies either just the usual arrogance we have come to expect from our dear leaders from top to bottom. If there is a problem it’s someone else’s fault.
