ZIMSEC To Become Sole Supplier Of Science Chemicals To Examination Centres

The Zimbabwe School Examination Council (ZIMSEC) has announced that it will be the sole supplier of science chemicals and consumables to examination centres for practical exams from November 2023 onwards.

According to Examinations Circular 24 of 2023, ZIMSEC will charge examination centres a recovery cost fee. Reads the circular:

ZIMSEC will supply examination centres which offer science practical examinations with Science chemicals and consumables with effect from the November 2023 examination session.

Centres will be charged a recovery cost fee according to their requirements.

Centres will receive advance information on the apparatus to be used during each examination session.

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Distribution details will be communicated in due course. Examination-specific instructions to supervisors shall be collected together with the chemicals and consumables.

The move has, however, angered stakeholders who had been supplying laboratory equipment to schools, with some claiming they had already stocked up on apparatus worth thousands of US dollars hoping to sell to schools.

But speaking to CITE, ZIMSEC spokesperson Nicky Dlamini, defended the move, saying it is meant to safeguard the examination. She said:

ZIMSEC is saying we’re supplying examination material, the same way in the same way it is the only one supplying question papers. The chemicals we are supplying pertain to our examination as ZIMSEC.

This is for standardisation purposes as well as to increase the security measures that come with our examination.

This is because the exams are a security exercise and there are issues to do with malpractice that we have been fighting for a very long time. I’m sure you would understand what has been happening with examinations.

It has nothing to do with business and everything to do with the integrity of the examination system.

Stakeholders on the market who feel prejudiced are more than welcome to come to us so we can explain to them.

ZIMSEC is a parastatal that is in charge of examinations. These are part of measures put in place to curb examination malpractices.

More: Pindula News