The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) claims some academic “mercenaries” are selling defective Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALA) for US$20 to learners.
It is reported that many learners are failing to meet the deadline for the submission of the CALAs leaving them vulnerable to “academic mercenaries.”
CALA is a government programme, which is part of the new curriculum that requires learners to perform, demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and proficiency and it covers pupils in primary school up to “A” Level.
PTUZ president Takavafira Zhou who has been one of the vocal unionists in the suspension of CALA has said the fast-tracking of the program is unhelpful. He said:
The fast-tracking of CALA in Zimbabwe less than two months before students write examinations and in light of the lockdown learning backlog, baffles logic and common sense.
It has sent students into panic mode and susceptible to academic mercenaries who have emerged overnight ready to produce defective CALAs for students at US$10 for primary school pupils and US$20 for secondary school projects.
Zhou explained that with primary school pupils doing 18 CALAs projects and secondary pupils doing up to 48 CALAs, “the magnitude of fleecing and uselessness of CALA as an assessment tool is rampant.
He added that teachers and learners do not have enough time for the successful implementation of CALAs.
Zhou urged the government to suspend CALA saying the majority of projects produced does not reflect the work of learners but that of mercenaries.
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