The Sunday Mail
Hexco and Zimsec’s ability to tackle examination leakages has been doubted
The Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) recently invited proposals from reputable firms to design a tamper-proof system that will curb examination leakages.
The invitation came barely some few months after the same examination board announced that it had finally “discovered” a formula that will eradicate, once and for all, the examination leakages that have eroded the council’s credibility.
In January, Zimsec announced that it will this year introduce electronic seals to ensure headmasters are not able to open examination papers until only a few minutes before candidates writes.
Although the introduction of the electronic seals was only a pilot project, Zimsec hailed the introduction of the new security system, giving an impression that depicted the electronic seals as the long sought-after answer to the examination leakages.
Four months down the line, the examination body is now scouting for a new security system, raising questions as to why an announcement was made before the design and supplier of the tag system was known.
Questions are also being asked regarding the examination body’s ability to enhance the security of confidential examination materials such as question papers and unmarked scripts.
In a notice which was published in the main stream media last week, Zimsec says the system should “provide electronic-locking capability and robust reusable containers”.
When the electronic seals were announced, stakeholders in the education sector doubted their effectiveness and calls were made for the complete overhaul of Zimsec.
The improvement in the welfare of teachers, among other suggestions, were put forward as possible solutions to the examination leakages.
Mr Maxwell Rafemoyo of the Education Coalition Zimbabwe, indicated then that the electronic seals will not bring the desired results.
“With the technological advances, this system is likely going to be busted soon. There must be a total overhaul of the way the examinations are both set and transported to the centres,” Mr Rafemoyo told The Sunday Mail Extra soon after the announcement of the introduction of the electronic seals.
With the technological advances and corruption, questions have also been raised concerning the ability of the invited “reputable” local firms to come up with the desired tamper-proof security system.
Stakeholders feel that the tamper-proof security systems might end up in the hands of corrupt officials who will then leak important documents.
Ms Nicholette Dlamini, the Zimsec Public Relations Manager, clarified the issues surrounding the electronic seals.
“We recently invited tenders for the provision of the tamper-proof security systems and no company has been given the go-ahead to produce the security system as some might want to believe. The process has to be done in a free and fair manner and in accordance with the Government’s tender procedures,” Ms Dlamini said.
Asked whether local firms are capable of developing such a security system, Ms Dlamini said that question will only be answered after the conclusion of the tender process.
“It is like building a house. As Zimsec, we have the plan and what we are doing now is to try and look for the builder. We have no idea of what will come out of the process but we definitely know what we want,” added Ms Dlamini.
Zimsec had, however, given the impression that it had already identified and even installed the electronic seals.
The Higher Education Examinations Council (Hexco) has not been spared of examination leakages and corruption, among other issues.
Last year, Hexco scripts for three courses were stolen at Harare Polytechnic in what was suspected to be an inside job, raising concerns over the security of examinations administered by the council.
In recent years, Hexco-administered examinations have come under the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
Last year, The Herald reported how the security of Hexco examinations had been compromised after the board contracted a precision mechanist to administer them.
According to the report, one person would carry the entire examinations database on memory sticks and CDs, creating the possibility of the exam material being leaked.
A probe team confirmed that the security of the exams was under threat and also revealed that some Hexco board members lacked the required skills to run national examinations.
Students who sat for Hexco tertiary examinations at government institutions are often unable to get their results while others say they have been issued with the wrong results.
A Press release issued by the Zimbabwe National Students’ Union (Zinasu) in 2009 alleged that Hexco had unnecessarily postponed the writing of examinations, issued wrong papers and that paper leakages were common.
Zinasu alleged that some students have missed their results, whilst others had received results for subjects they did not sit for.
Hexco results for the November and December 2008 examinations were delayed by six months.
Then the student body argued that strikes by lecturers led to students not receiving full tuition and demanded the restructuring of Hexco and Zimsec.
Addressing Parliament on the operations of Hexco in March last year, the then Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Dr Olivia Muchena, said all was well at Hexco.
“Mr Speaker Sir, the purpose of my statement is to explain to this august house the operations of Hexco and address public concerns on the credibility of and confidence in Hexco as expressed in the media …”
“Mr Speaker Sir, the information given above shows that the Hexco system is robust, functional and secure. Of course, there is always room for improvement.
“Accepting the principle that there is no system that is 100 percent security water-tight, it is not correct to say that the Hexco system is dysfunctional and has no security as has been alleged in some media reports,” Dr Muchena said.
Dr Muchena said the ministry has a well-established National Management Information Systems in place, which is digitalised and fully-operational.
Efforts to get a comment from Cde Oppah Muchinguri, the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education on the state of affairs at Hexco were fruitless as the person who was answering her phone always insisted that she was busy.
