- Zimsec releases June examination timetable
- Move sets Zimsec, teachers on collision course
- Teachers have previously threatened industrial conflict if exams go ahead
ZIMBABWE School Examination Council (Zimsec) has released the June 2020 examination timetable setting themselves up on a collision course with teachers who insist the environment is not right.
Zimsec chairperson Eddie Mwenje told a news conference Tuesday that Ordinary Level examinations have been scheduled for June 30 to July 20 while Advanced Level examinations will run from June 30 to July 23 2020.
He said the examination material from Zimsec will be delivered while observing Covid-19 regulations.
“More stand-alone centres will be created to minimise movement and contact between administrators from different centres,” he said.
“Examination centres are to observe the minimum one metre distance between candidates’ desk.”
Heads of examination centres have been mandated to enforce measures to curb spread of Covid-19.
However, teachers are on record saying holding examinations at a time Zimbabwe is struggling to contain the outbreak of the coronavirus could be cataclysmic.
“Scheduling examinations is not a panacea to Covid-19. This is a pandemic that has claimed many lives in the world and continues to do so. A declaration means nothing if the necessary health protocols recommended by the World Health Organisation are not followed,” Zimbabwe Teachers Association (Zimta) chief executive officer Sifiso Ndlovu said recently.
“We are not ready for June examinations. Teachers are not willing. If the authorities go ahead with their plan, we are headed for industrial conflict. We cannot have pronouncements that ignore environmental dictates,” he added.
“Government should consider what Cambridge, an international examinations body has done. They cancelled their June examinations and this is something we should consider. Our learners are not in the right psychological space to write examinations. They are fearing for their lives, so are our teachers. Writing an examination at this point may end up defeating the purpose behind examinations, unless we are doing them just to tick boxes,” he added.
Zimbabwe had 203 coronavirus cases as at Monday, including four deaths and 29 recoveries.
