The Sunday News
“THE Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) has quashed rumours circulating on social media platforms and in schools that the council has suspended this year’s June Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examination session. Social media platforms such as WhatsApp were, at the end of last year, abuzz with the rumour, which claimed that Zimsec had been forced to scrap the examination session owing to lack of funds.”
This was part of a story that appeared in the Sunday News edition of 4 January under the headline: “Zimsec speaks on June exams”.
In the story, the country’s examination body goes on to label the said rumours as “false”, “unfounded” and “not only putting the examinations board into disrepute but the educational system and the nation of Zimbabwe as a whole.”
Zimsec even claimed that the rumour torched confusion and panic among unsuspecting candidates some of whom visited their offices in various parts of the country to seek clarification on the matter.
Since its inception in 1996, Zimsec has without fail, held both June and November examination sessions.
June exams in particular have seen a mixed bag of candidates filling examination rooms. These include pupils wanting to taste the waters before the November examinations, which in most cases are referred to as the final exams.
Some of those who have targeted the June exams are those who would have failed the previous November exams and will be retaking the subjects that they failed.
Candidate performance at these session exams has also been historically low compared to the November session. Last year 194 278 candidates sat for the June Ordinary Level examinations and obtained a pass rate of about 37,96 percent, which was 13,23 percent lower than the 2013 June results.
Although this session is always dominated by “repeaters” aiming to obtain either Mathematics or English, the pass rate in these two subjects during this session has, however, continued to plummet. Last year the O-Level English Language pass rate was 30,46 percent, Mathematics (non-calculator) 21,14 percent and Mathematics (calculator) 29,86 percent.
A-Level results also showed a decline in the pass rate compared to the last two years. The pass rate for 2012 was 53 percent, 2013 (54,35 percent) and the 2014 result is 51,46 percent.
For any Form Four or Six pupil, both the months of June and November are critical in their education map — these being the two months of reckoning; the two months when they sit for examinations that they had spent sleepless nights preparing for.
For non-repeaters the questions have always been: will teachers have completed the syllabi and do these exams offer any form of relief?
Parents and school heads have gone further to challenge the relevance of these exams, some dismissing the argument of offering pupils relief when they sit for their November exams. What form of relief is there considering that the results for the June exams are usually released a few weeks before the November sitting?
Further, in terms of preparations it has been argued that pupils will not be fully prepared hence the low pass rates, with other viewpoints being that the June exams should only be reserved for external candidates who will be repeating or those who will be studying under the correspondence system.
With all these hanging questions, Sunday News spoke to various educationists, academics, teachers unions and parents to bring out the different perspectives relating to the June examinations.
Mr Nqondisani Dlamini of the National Association of School Development Committees said these exams were being abused with schools charging abnormal centre fees, hence the need for them to be banned as they were not serving their purpose.
“Let us have one examination in November. Teachers should be given the opportunity to put maximum effort on those examinations. June exams are not done in a proper school set-up. Private lessons are being organised for June writers by the teachers who will want to make money.
“For November examinations, teachers put an effort and slow learners are helped to ensure that they understand concepts and can sit for an examination. It will be best if we can go back to where we were, that is, when we used to sit for only November examination. Those who will want to get the second chance can be taking formal lessons at night schools,” said Mr Dlamini.
However, educationist and former Zanu-PF Secretary for Education Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu expressed disappointment at the mere fact that one could even consider scrapping June exams noting that they were an important part of the education calendar.
He said the argument that pupils would not have completed their syllabi was null and void, instead blaming the teachers for being lazy and not doing their job on time.
“Considering the life and future of thousands of Zimbabwean children out there we cannot even entertain such an idea. What we are supposed to be worried about right now is encouraging more of our children to take advantage of these exams, noting that in the event that they excel they can immediately move on to university.
“Whoever wants the June exams to be scrapped is looking at them as a figure rather than what they really mean. The idea is basically misplaced and goes to prove that we no longer have true educationists but people masquerading as educationists. In reality they are simply after money,” said Dr Ndlovu.
He noted that there were whiz kids within the system who wanted to push through school in the shortest possible period due to their fast learning capability, hence the need for June exams.
“What I rue the most is that we currently have teachers who cannot even compile a teaching scheme. They believe one has to teach one chapter a week, which is not true. Teaching is about making the learner fully understand and appreciate the concepts they are being taught.
“Those who are arguing that these exams should be scrapped are those lazy teachers who don’t want to accept that they have to finish the syllabus on time. Besides, we have a lot of whiz kids out there who are quick graspers of concepts, hence scrapping the June exams will be very unfair on them. I am not sure whether proponents of such thinking have approached the minister but whenever they do I will personally advise him to ignore such thinking,” Dr Ndlovu said.
Another educationist, Dr Samukele Hadebe, said the key point that had to be regarded when looking at the June exams was that they were not compulsory and that if a learner believed they were ready to write they could opt for the June exams.
“June exams never have been compulsory. I guess that is one aspect we should consider when engaging in this argument. Any learner who feels they are ready to sit for the exams can opt to write in June, it’s as simple as that.
“While I agree that there might be a few administrative problems surrounding the issue, scrapping them is no solution because educationally these, like any other exam, are a key part of our education system. What we should be discussing right now is addressing the administrative hiccups which are there,” said Dr Hadebe.
He also concurred with Dr Ndlovu on the issue of the syllabus, noting that teachers had a whole two years to prepare pupils for the exams hence under normal circumstances, by June they should be concentrating on revision.
“Let us not forget that these June session exams are not meant for the in-class formal students but we have people who are supplementing or learning under the correspondence system. If these exams are totally scrapped, we are disadvantaging a whole community.
“What teachers should be concentrating on is completing the syllabus on time so they give students the opportunity to choose for themselves whether they want to write the June exams or not,” said Dr Hadebe.
In a recent interview, veteran educationist and former Gwanda North legislator Mr Thandeko Zinti Mnkandla said instead of debating on the issue of banning or not banning June exams debate should be focusing on improving the poor learning environment in most schools so as to improve the pass rate.
“The teachers, including education officials, pupils and the parents all contribute to the outcome of the results, there is a need for a creation of an environment for the pupil to produce better results, for there to be good results, for the need to work in tandem.
“If any slackens then failure is guaranteed. Parents must make sure they give their children the best in terms of resources and study time. Children must not have divided focus,” he said.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive officer Mr Sifiso Ndlovu also concurred that despite all the administrative problems faced in the running of these exams, they were a huge necessity as they ensured that pupils who failed in the previous year’s November exams had a chance to repeat.
“June exams were designed to ensure that those who failed November examinations can get a second chance. There are some pupils who take advantage of the situation and gamble by writing in June. Sometimes the results will be released in September and that is not that late.
“It is true that there are schools that do not allow pupils to write in June because they will not want their pass rate to drop. But that does not mean that pupils cannot go and register elsewhere as private candidates, these exams are merely optional, which I believe is the operational term,” said Mr Ndlovu.
