Doubt Over Exam Results

The Standard
BY CAIPHAS CHIMHETE AND GEORGE MADEGA
9 May 2009

THE Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) last week fired all its casual workers after they abandoned the processing of last year’s Grade VII examinations following an acrimonious dispute over pay.
The labour dispute, the latest hurdle for the beleaguered examinations body, has reportedly put paid to hopes the 2008 Grade VII results will be released anytime soon.

They were reportedly responsible for transcribing the results, a tedious process that takes weeks to complete, sources said.

Sources said it would be a “miracle” if the results are released because of the confusion caused by the dispute.

This has also disrupted the processing of Form IV and VI results, which have already been delayed.

Workers reportedly downed tools after the Ministry of Finance told them their salaries for April, which they had not received by last week, were released on time.

“There was a serious confrontation when the Zimsec management confirmed that indeed the salaries had been released by Treasury but there were no satisfactory answers why they had been delayed and workers not paid,” said a senior official at the examinations’ body.

All the 91 workers were immediately shown the door and replaced by another batch that was said to be still familiarising itself with the marking process.

Insiders said as a result of the chaos candidate numbers, marks and names of students for the Grade VII examinations were “so mixed up” that it was “impossible” to match the candidate to the marks.
“Grade VII results are in such shambles that there are no prospects of them ever coming out,” said one source.

“As we speak, the processing of the results has come to a standstill.”

The sources said unqualified staff such as security guards, drivers, receptionists, clerks and secretaries, were employed to mark the papers after teachers refused to do so due to poor remuneration.

The problems have also affected the processing of “O” and “A” level results, which Zimsec spokesperson Ezekiel Pasipamire had promised last week, in time for the start of the second term.

Zimsec director Happy Ndanga confirmed that the temporary workers had been fired following a salary dispute.

“These were temporary workers whose contracts had expired,” he said.

“We told them to go home and come and collect their money when we have it because we did not have it ready then.”

But he had no idea when the examinations results would be released.

“I can’t tell because we have not had electricity for some days now,” he said. “We are so computerised that the absence of power has seriously affected us.”

He defended the use of unqualified staff in the marking of examinations saying: “They were not marking but transferring marks.

“We call it clerical marking, where you don’t have to know the context but just tick or cancel.”
However, the sources warned the problems at Zimsec would have a serious impact on the credibility of the examinations system in the country.

In March, the government instructed schools to enroll students using mid-year examination results as it became apparent Zimsec had no capacity to release the results on time.

The new Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Senator David Coltart had promised to mobilise international donors to fund the marking of the examinations. However, educationists described the move to allow students to proceed to another level without the proper qualifications as “a recipe for disaster”.

This was on the back of reports by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) that only 20% of the country’s children attended school last year following a prolonged strike by teachers.

“Form 1 students were enrolled on the basis of mock results,” said another Zimsec official.

“Given that there was hardly any teaching, there is no guarantee that the Grade VII pupils ever sat for any credible tests.”

He said even Lower Sixth students were enrolled on the basis of the “same mock” examinations and it was difficult for students to pursue “A” level studies in subjects they were not even sure they passed.

“It won’t be surprising to discover that some or most Lower Sixth students are reading subjects they failed dismally at “O” Level,” he said.

Meanwhile, Coltart admitted that the examination process was in a shambles, a situation which he said was worsened by Zimsec’s financial crisis.

“The marking of the November 2008 examinations has been done, however the grading has not been completed because we don’t have funds,” Coltart said.

“November results are supposed to be out before the June exams are written because June exams are usually supplementary exams for those who would have failed in November.”

He said there was “no doubting that the integrity of the system has been damaged”.