The Sunday Mail
Although the introduction of electronic seals by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) will go a long way in eradicating cases of examination paper leaks, players in the education sector argue that a lot more still needs to be done.
Zimsec will this year introduce electronic seals as a pilot project to ensure headmasters are not able to open examination papers until only a few minutes before candidates write.
The seals will only be opened remotely by the examination body.
Experts argue that the introduction of the seals alone will not eradicate cases of examination leaks.
Instead, calls have been made for the complete overhaul of Zimsec and improvement of the welfare of teachers as measures to curb the leaks which have troubled the examination body since 1995 when the examinations were localised.
Before the localisation of the examinations, the Cambridge University, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education’s Examination Branch, was in charge of local school examinations.
Education Coalition Zimbabwe’s Maxwell Rafemoyo said the electronic seals are likely not going to curb examination leakages.
Instead, he said Zimsec must be overhauled while the welfare of the people handling the papers must be improved so as to wipe out their corrupt tendencies.
“With the technological advances, this system is likely going to be busted soon. S)There must be a total overhaul of the way the examinations are both set and transported to the centres.
“There is clearly a missing link between the Zimsec head office and the centres,” Mr Rafemoyo said.
According to Mr Rafemoyo, examination papers are handled by disgruntled people who work under stressful yet unrewarding circumstances.
“Corruption has affected every aspect of our social fabric. Poorly-paid headmasters are tempted to leak the papers.
“Even if Zimsec fully adopt the seals,
“I am sure that the corrupt officials will be able to find other ways of leaking the papers,” Mr Rafemoyo said.
For the poorly-paid teachers, exam papers have become a cash cow and some of the papers have been sold for as little as US$40.
Last year, a Mutoko headmaster and a senior teacher were jailed for leaking examination papers after being promised a goat.
Information communication technology expert, Mr Givemore Chidzonga, said due to the technological advances, corrupt officials can easily find ways of skirting around the electronic seals.
“A number of ways can be used to leak examination papers. We now have social media platforms that makes it easy to send messages.
Zimsec must first rid itself of corrupt officials and introduce watertight security systems,” Mr Chidzonga said.
Dr Fraderick Mabamba, a former headmaster who is now running a number of private schools, called upon the Government to severely punish those that are tarnishing the country’s education sector by leaking examinations.
“Cases of teachers that were caught leaking examinations have died natural deaths.
“The Government should introduce water-tight security systems and deal with those that leak examination papers severely,” Dr Mabamba said.
Asked why the number of students that are passing their examinations with flying colours have increased since the localisation of the examinations, Mr Rafemoyo said the current crop of teachers concentrate more on how to answer examination questions than anything else.
“We have students that got “As” in English but cannot construct a simple English sentence.
“Teachers know how examinations are set and are now concentrating on imparting to their students the ability to answer examination papers,” Mr Rafemoyo said.
Tatenda Chimombe, an Upper Six student at a Harare college, attributed the trend to exposure.
“Unlike in the past, today’s students are exposed to many sources of information.
“We now have the Internet, newspapers and books that guide students on how to tackle examination papers.”
However despite the exposure, examination leaks have been rampant, resulting in the Government losing millions of dollars.
Last year, four examination papers were leaked in the Midlands province, costing Zimsec over US$1 million as pupils had to re-sit the examinations.
In 2012 alone, some 13 Ordinary Level examinations had to be reset at a cost of $850 000 after a headmaster lost the exam papers while travelling on public transport from Bulawayo to his rural school in Matabeleland.
The examination leakages have eroded the credibility of the national examination system and the education system.
Players in the sector fear that if the leaks are not stopped, there is a danger that local high school graduates might end up failing to get entry into international universities.
Zimbabwe’s education system is highly regarded, not only on the African continent, but also beyond.
