Source: Bill to combat exam malpractices tabled – herald
Farirai Machivenyika
Senior Reporter
THE Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Amendment Bill, which seeks to enhance security measures surrounding examinations and combat malpractices within the education system, was tabled in the National Assembly yesterday.
The Bill was immediately sent for scrutiny by the Parliamentary Legal Committee, to check its constitutionality.
It proposes amendments to the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) Act to tackle challenges such as exam paper leaks, irregularities in registration and fraudulent conduct at various examination centres across the country.
Over the years, Zimbabwe’s public examinations have been marred by cases of cheating, with individuals being caught sitting exams on behalf of candidates and others arrested for leaking papers.
Invigilators and school officials have also been implicated in past incidents.
The Bill was approved by Cabinet in April, and at a post-Cabinet media briefing then, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere explained that the Bill was designed to safeguard the integrity of public examinations.
“Under the legislative programme, Cabinet considered and approved the Zimbabwe School Examinations Amendment Bill. The decision to amend the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council Act is intended to address challenges in the education sector, particularly exam leakages, registration anomalies and fraudulent practices at certain examination centres nationwide,” he said.
The proposed changes will include an increase in penalties for exam-related offences, making them a stronger deterrent.
The Bill also seeks to eliminate systemic weaknesses that have contributed to paper leaks at examination centres, a long-standing issue that could undermine the credibility of the country’s examination system.
Education stakeholders have long called for reforms within Zimsec, particularly following a series of reported leaks during Ordinary and Advanced Level exams, with several papers circulating on social media platforms before candidates sat for them.
Dr Muswere said the new law was expected to bolster Zimsec, equipping it with stronger tools to enforce compliance and increase transparency in the administration of exams.
“The Zimbabwe School Examinations Amendment Bill, 2024, therefore has, inter alia, the following objectives: streamlining board functions to allow for the de-registration of non-compliant examination centres,” he said.
If passed into law, the Bill will also empower Zimsec to de-register non-compliant examination centres, many of which have been flagged for unethical conduct or failure to meet minimum operating standards.
“It will strengthen the operational efficiency of the board and introduce a review of penalties for examination malpractices. More critically, the Bill will eliminate leakages across all examination centres.”
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