Plug exam leaks: Coltart

The Zimbabwe Mail

19th November 2014

Former minister of Education, Sports and Culture David Coltart has said the Zimbabwe Examinations Council (Zimsec) must find ways of plugging all examination leakages that are threatening to erode the country’s high quality education.

Coltart said the huge costs incurred while rectifying leakages through re-setting and re-sitting of examinations could be channeled towards fortification of the same, which have become perennial and were in bad taste.

In an interview with The Zimbabwe Mail on Monday, Coltart, who was recently commended by President Robert Mugabe for successfully lobbying for Zimbabwe to host the African Union Sports Council Region Five Youth Games which fell under his ministry in the unity government, said Zimsec’s examination standards were “excellent” but that the perennial leakages threatened their dignity.

“The integrity of the examinations, which I must say is high even compared to the Cambridge University O’ Level, is under threat from these leakages and there must be a rigid approach by Zimsec to guard against this,” he said.

About 200 000 Form Four students throughout the country are required to re-sit four examination papers following an alleged leak which occurred at one school in the Midlands Province.

Such leakages have also been reported in the past, including an infamous incident in which a drunk teacher forgot examination papers in a commuter omnibus in Bulawayo. Although some political parties have blamed Zimsec for the leakages, Coltart said most leakages have been traced to schools rather than to the examination body.

“Most leakages have been traced to schools and Zimsec should be strict and even withdraw examination centre statuses to schools that have leaked,” he said. Such deterrent measures would ensure leakages were plugged, he added.

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) led by Lovemore Madhuku recently accused Zimsec of being irresponsible and urged parents to take the body to court for unilaterally deciding that papers that leaked in the Midlands be re-written countrywide.

NCA said the decision to have candidates re-sit would not “contribute to stamping out corruption at Zimsec.”

The opposition party said in its view that such a drastic decision should only have been taken with respect to the “affected centres”.

Coltart said Zimsec should be strict in the awarding and withdrawal of examination centre statuses to offending schools. It could also invest more into the security of the papers which he said leaked at school level than at the setting centres.

“So far examinations have been leaking at the school rather that at Zimsec and there is need to be rigid in awarding and withdrawing examination centre statuses to schools where examinations have leaked,” he said.

He said Zimsec should, like Cambridge, embark on thorough inspection of examination centres before awarding them the status to be able to hold examinations.

“It is a good intention that Zimsec tries to avail itself to the larger part of the country but that is also difficult to monitor; leaked examinations cost more to rectify,” he said.

Coltart said disciplinary action, including withdrawal of exam centre statuses, would be deterrent enough to guard against leakages.