Teachers Call For Rescheduling Of November Zimsec Exams 2020
The two biggest teachers’ unions in Zimbabwe have called on the Government to defer the opening of schools and writing of the November Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) final examinations to 2021.
In a statement published by Sunday News, Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Dr Sifiso Ndlovu said it would be unfair for learners to proceed with Zimsec exams in November given the time they have been at home due to the COVID-19 induced national lockdown.
“These learners have lost approximately 122 learning days and that means the learners have not covered the syllabi, they have not had the opportunity to revise and prepare for the examinations, neither are the teachers prepared to get the learners into examination mode,” said Dr Ndlovu.
In an interview with the same publication, Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) president Dr Takavafira Zhou said schools are not ready to open for Zimsec exams in November.
“The truth of the matter is that schools are not yet ready to reopen and preside over the writing of the November examinations. There are a lot of preconditions that have to be met before we talk of these exams, this inclusive of ensuring the testing of the learners, teachers and the ancillary staff, and the provision of the necessary Covid-19 PPEs. The only time possible for sitting of these exams will be February next year because for learners to be ready for exams, they require at least two to three months of intense learning, it’s important for us to realise that exams are a process not an event,” said Dr Zhou.
Zhou also called on Government to recruit more teachers given the backlog of 50 000 teachers.
Zimsec chairperson Professor Eddie Mwenje has said exams will only be written when students have completed the syllabus and when it is safe to do so, even if it means pushing the examinations to December this year or January next year.