The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Senior Reporter
GOVERNMENT has scrapped this year’s Zimbabwe School Examinations Council June Ordinary and Advanced Level Examination after noting that Covid-19 induced lockdown had negatively affected the preparation and setting of the exams.
Last year’s November examinations stretched up until early February due to the national lockdown which saw schools closed for a longer period thereby affecting the examination cycle.
Presenting at a post Cabinet briefing on Wednesday, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Senator Monica Mutsvangwa said the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Ambassador Cain Mathema had noted that the suspension of the June exams would allow for the adequate preparation for the November exams.
“Cabinet was advised that the Covid-19 pandemic that broke out in 2020 had negatively impacted on the timing and cycle of public examinations, with the 2020 Grade 7, ‘O’ Level and ‘A’ Level examinations having commenced in early December 2020 and ended in early February 2021, instead of the usual period stretching from October to November of each year.
“The delay in writing and the marking of the previous examinations has affected the preparation and the setting of the next examination hence the decision to temporarily suspend the June 2021 examinations. This suspension of the June 2021 examination session will allow for timely focus on the November examination preparations and aid an effective focus of resources,” said Sen Mutsvangwa.
She revealed that logistics will be put in place to ensure that the candidates who may have wanted to sit for their examinations in June 2021 do so together with other students in November 2021.
