Governnent Directive on ‘A’ level Students Slammed

The Standard
29 March 2009

THE government’s directive to schools to enrol ‘A’ Level students based on last year’s mid-year examinations will backfire as most students did not write any tests because of the prolonged strike by teachers, educationists have warned.

They said the move, sanctioned by Education Minister David Coltart, could compromise Zimbabwe’s already battered examination system.

Schools were ordered to enrol Form V students earlier this month in the wake of delays by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Councils (Zimsec) to release ‘O’ Level results.

The examinations body is still battling to complete the marking of the November examinations, which were held back by the job boycott that paralysed the education sector.

Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association (Zimta) secretary general, Paul Gundani said the directive showed that the inclusive government wanted to pretend that the education sector could be rehabilitated overnight.

“The process is not credible at all,” Gundani said.

“This is why we had demanded that ‘O’ Level exams should be marked so that they could be used as the basis for the selection of the students.

“The government would like to pretend as if things are fine but this will cause a lot of confusion as some undeserving students might be enrolled.

“They should have waited for the ‘O’ Level exams to be marked.”

The ministry has remained mum on what would happen to students who fail their ‘O’ Level examinations after having started Form V lessons.

Concerned parents in Gweru said the directive would worsen the chaos in the education sector.
“The announcement by the ministry that schools can take in Lower VI students is a clear indication that our education sector has collapsed,” said Nhamo Ndawana.

“How can a student proceed to ‘A’ Level without completing ‘O’ Level.”

Some of the parents complained that they could be forced into unnecessary expenses if their children eventually failed their ‘O’ Level examinations.

“Imagine after having looked for a place, bought uniforms, stationery and paid fees and then you discover your child has not passed ‘O’ Level,” said Tsungi Mutambira whose son, Geshem wrote his ‘O’ Levels last year.

Schools were also forced to enrol Form I students before their Grade VII results were issued.

Meanwhile, Matabeleland North has recorded a poor turnout of teachers responding to the amnesty extended by the government earlier this month.

This has resulted in most schools operating with less than five teachers, stakeholders who attended a crisis meeting held last week heard.

Lupane East legislator, Njabuliso Mguni, who attended the meeting at Mabhikwa High School said teachers were citing poor working conditions and lack of reliable transport as one of the reasons that forced them to shun the province.

“Headmasters of schools in that region were unanimous on the huge shortage of teachers,” Mguni said.
“They were all saying their schools were operating with plus or minus 5% of their normal requirements, meaning that each school had less than five teachers each, against a normal requirement of over 10 per school.

“The headmasters were saying that the reason for the lack of teachers was that returning teachers are reluctant to take up teaching posts in that region because of lack of basic learning material, resources, facilities and infrastructure.”

Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe secretary general Raymond Majongwe said lack of basic learning materials and resources at rural schools was frustrating returning teachers.

Coltart granted amnesty to returning teachers so that they can be admitted back into the public service without questions in a bid to quickly bridge the gap of a biting shortage of the education professionals.

PTUZ estimates over 25 000 teachers quit their jobs in frustration over low pay.
Coltart was not available for comment Saturday.

Aid agencies said at the end of last year only 20% of children were still attending school, down from 85% a year earlier.