By Kudakwashe Vhenge
Teachers unions have criticized government’s decision to allow examination classes to sit for their November Zimbabwe School Examination Council (ZIMSEC) exams as scheduled.
This is despite the fact that schools were on March 24 forced to close in order to curb the spread of Covid-19.
This left an estimate of 650 000 students unprepared for their final exams sitting.
Speaking following a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said: “Cabinet notes that schools are continuing with their preparations for the re-opening of schools for final examination classes. The developed and approved guidelines that were put in place for the June 2020 examinations will be used for the holding of the final examinations in November/December.”
Schools temporarily re-opened in June for pupils who registered to sit for their mid-year examinations. Number of pupils per classroom was limited in line with social distancing. This will be hard to follow in November if all classes resume owing to a classroom and teacher shortage.
A statement released by the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Association Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) stated that a lot of time has been lost by students as a result of the forced school closure.
“Examination candidates have lost 5 solid months of learning time in the critical final year of their studies. They are likely to lose more. Traditionally these lost months are dedicated to completing the syllabi and embarking on a robust revision process to recall concepts covered in the first academic year of the two year course. It is practically impossible to frog march these ill prepared learners into the examination room and expect them cough out good results. Apart from the minority elite learners, the rest will fail,” read the statement.
The vibrant teacher’s organization also predicted that government’s move is likely to face stiff resistance from teachers who are reluctant to report for duty citing poor remuneration and lack of PPEs.
“The proposal to open schools in September, is definitely going to be resisted by the underpaid teachers. Teachers’ salaries were illegally slashed from USD 520 to the current USD 30 per month. It should be noted that schools are not only closed for safety from COVID19, schools are also closed because teachers are reluctant to report back for duty until their salaries are paid in a stable currency. A labor dispute between teachers and their employer which has been simmering over the months will come to light if schools are forcibly opened in September. Teachers are not going to report for duty in protest of the apartheid salary payment regime, apart from government Ministers and Senior Civil Servants no one else is being paid a salary in a stable currency. More learning time will be lost as the labor dispute rages on, hampering learner preparedness for November 2020 examinations”.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) President Dr Takavafira Zhou in a statement reiterated the fact that government has ambushed educators as it has not adequately guaranteed the health and safety of teachers, learners and ancillary staff.
“Examinations are not an event but process. That process must include preparing students adequately for such exams, guaranteeing the health and safety of teachers, pupils and ancillary staff, let alone the welfare of teachers. It is our humble professional view that students need three months of intensive learning before writing examinations. We certainly don’t see how the government would procure, let alone place in 10 000 schools covid-19 abatement equipment (testing kits, thermometers, sanitizers and other PPEs) in schools and test millions of students and 136000 teachers and 50 000 ancillary staff in order to ensure opening of schools soon and writing of exams in November,” he said.
In an interview with this reporter, PTUZ Secretary General Raymond Majongwe bemoaned the lack of consultation from other stakeholders by the government so as to come with a concrete solution.
“Government must learn to consult its employees and its trade unions and out of it we will find a solution. The same guys who want exams to be hurridly written because they feel they don’t have the resources are the same guys who left Zimbabwe in 1974 going to war as form twos students and came back and proceeded 5 years later.
“What is the rush why are we rushing and where are we rushing to, are we not a sovereign country these exams are exams, we can re-moderate, and make sure we teach our children right up to February and write exams in March start a new year in April and still write exams in November 2021 that can be done. We are surprised that government wants to reinvent the wheel for no reason. Government must realize that wisdom does not grow on trees and wisdom is not a monopoly of the cabinet, engage your people and engage your structures and we will find a solution,” said Majongwe.
