Govt uncertain whether Zimsec and Cambridge November exams will be written

Government Uncertain Over November Exams

Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Cain Mathema yesterday said he is uncertain about whether students will be able to write Zimsec and Cambridge exams in November this year.

Mathema was responding to questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday during a question and answer session.

He said he is uncertain whether students in Grade Seven and in O-level and A-level would write their November examinations given that the reopening of schools had been deferred indefinitely.

Mathema was responding to a question from Masvingo Central MP, Cde Edmond Mhere (Zanu-PF), who had asked what would become of the pupils due to write examinations this year following the announcement Government was deferring reopening of schools.

Mhere had also asked on whether exam classes which are doing Cambridge syllabus and are supposed to register for the November exams by 31 July 2020 will be allowed to go to their schools to register before the closing date.

Mathema implied that schools that want to write Cambridge exams in November are welcome to approach him for discussions. Mathema said:

Any school that wants to have examinations in November, I have never closed my doors to receive presentations from any authority at all about their situation.  However, as to whether the schools will be open in November – nobody knows because nobody created COVID-19, so we will work accordingly and everyone will be informed.

He however went on to state that he was uncertain on whether exams will be written in November. Mathema said:

Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir.  We had planned and indeed we were moving forward with the President’s directive that the schools should be opened on the 28^th of this month.  For those students who will be sitting for Grade 7, ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels examinations but because of what is happening this is what we have now.  As to whether we are going to write exams in November or not I do not know, unfortunately I do not know who created COVID-19.  I would have phoned him.  Thank you Mr. Speaker Sir.