The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) 2021 public examinations commenced on Monday with Ordinary Level candidates sitting for practical subjects.
The practical subjects written to date are Textile Technology and Design, Wood Technology and Design and Metal Technology and Design.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education communication and advocacy director, Taungana Ndoro said the exams were written without incident and preparations for other subjects are at an advanced stage. Said Ndoro:
As we speak everything is under control, examinations as I have said started with some practical subjects and the Ministry is confident that the examinations will proceed without a hitch.
The Ministry has taken note of the concerns raised by some teachers and they are being addressed.
Ndoro said Grade 7 pupils will be sitting for their first examination paper this coming Monday, with “O” and “A” levels examinations spilling into January next year.
He said more than 95 per cent of teachers were reporting for duty countrywide.
Some teacher unions, among them the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) and the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) have vowed to boycott invigilating the examinations.
However, Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) secretary-general Goodwill Taderera said there was no strike taking place and exams will go on smoothly.
The 2021 ZIMSEC exams will be the first to capture pupils’ coursework performance by including Continuous Assessment Learning Activity (CALA) marks in the final exam mark for Grade 7, “O” and “A” Level candidates.