Zimbabwe’s School Examinations Council (Zimsec) is facing calls for legal action after the results of nearly 5,000 Ordinary Level (O-Level) students were nullified due to cheating. A total of 183,584 students took the 2022 O-Level exams and 130,415 of them failed to pass at least five subjects. The results, which were released last week, were marred by irregularities, with Mukaro High School in Masvingo being the worst affected.
The Educators Union of Zimbabwe’s Secretary-General, Tapedza Zhou, has urged parents to sue Zimsec over the nullification of their children’s results. Zhou argues that Zimsec has put the country’s academic credentials at risk and says that Parliament should take action as well. The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe’s president, Obert Masaraure, claims that Zimsec is solely to blame for punishing poor parents who pay education fees, while Zimbabwe National Teachers Union President Manuel Nyawo accused Zimsec of reducing pass rates.
Nyawo says that all students who scored between 50% and 60% should be upgraded to the C grade, while those who scored between 61% and 70% should be slotted into the B grade. Zimsec spokesperson Nicky Dlamini has asked affected students to approach their schools before Zimsec, while the police are still investigating outstanding cases.
In conclusion, the nullification of nearly 5,000 O-Level results has sparked calls for legal action against Zimbabwe’s School Examinations Council. Teacher unions and education leaders are claiming that the council’s handling of the exams has put the country’s academic credibility at risk.
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