The 2022 Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) examinations will begin this month, with all exams set to be completed before year-end.
Grade Seven candidates will sit for their first examination on September 26 and finish on October 10.
Ordinary and Advanced Level candidates will start the exam season with practical tests on September 16 and finish on November 29.
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education director communications and advocacy Taungana Ndoro told The Sunday Mail that the 2022 examinations will be completed this year as there have been no disruptions caused by COVID-19. Ndoro said:
There were fewer disruptions this year by the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the last two years, so we expect the examinations to be completed this year.
The exams will not be spilling over to next year as what was happening over the past two years.
So much focus will be on this year’s examination classes as well as next year’s examination classes so that we increase the pass rate.
So we expect to slowly start returning to our normal school calendar.
We will, however, continue with our online lessons which include radio lessons.
Ndoro further said that learners will be required to wear face masks indoors, while some high-risk sporting activities remain suspended. He said:
We are guided by the National COVID-19 Taskforce, therefore, masks will continue to be worn indoors at schools as well as enforcement of other COVID-19 protocols such as basic hygiene of sanitising, hand washing and avoiding overcrowding.
In terms of sporting, at the moment we will continue to use the circular that was issued during the second term and we will be guided by the COVID-19 task force and the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation.
ZIMSEC board chairperson Eddie Mwenje said the number of candidates who registered for this year’s exams has increased compared to the last two years.
National Association of School Heads (NASH) president Arthur Maphosa attributed the increased enrolment to the Basic Education Assistance Module (BEAM) programme, a government initiative that pays school fees for hundreds of thousands of learners.