There are great concerns being raised by Teachers’ unions to the government as they seek the postponement of November Zimbabwe Examinations Council (Zimsec) final exams to February 2021.
The development comes at a time when student have lost considerable learning time since the closure of schools in March 24 before the National lockdown was induced on the 28th of the same month.
The government announced plans to reopen schools and holding examinations, drawing successful lessons from the June examinations. The government once planned to open schools on the 28th of July but higher numbers of COVID-19 forced the shelving of the plans.
In a statement seen by MyGokwe Media, the Chief Executive Officer of the Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (ZIMTA) Dr Sifiso Ndlovu alluded that both learners and teachers were not prepared given so much time they have lost due to the COVID-19 lockdown, thus it was not fair to go ahead with plans of having exams in June.
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.
He further argued that it was noble if the government would start to make sure that schools have in place of required protective equipment to protect students and their teachers.
Adding to the same point, the President of another trade union Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) Dr Takavafira Zhou pointed out that examinations should be given the much needed time as they are a process not an event.
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
MyGokwe Media also noted that the Zimsec chairperson Professor Eddie Mwenje was also not convinced with the scheduling of November examinations as he nodded that the was little time for students to prepare for examinations.