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(HERALD) Uproar over O, A-Level certificates

Uproar over O, A-Level certificates
Herald Reporters

Thousands of candidates who sat for Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations from as far back as 2007 are yet to get their certificates, compromising their chances of furthering their studies or securing scholarship and employment.

The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council last week admitted it had not processed the certificates, citing financial constraints.

In an interview, Zimsec information officer Mr Ezekiel Pasipamire said: "The unavailability of funds and the economic hardships did not spare the organisation, which caused the delay in producing certificates for Ordinary and Advanced Level candidates from 2007."

He, however, said they had since secured funding from the Government and were in the process of producing the certificates.

The revelation came as thousands of pupils from across the country last Friday failed to beat the deadline to register for the 2009 "O" and "A" Level examinations owing to the "high fees" being demanded by Zimsec.

A meeting scheduled for last Friday between the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture and Ministry of Finance officials to map ways in which affected pupils could be assisted failed to take place.

Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister David Coltart could not be reached for comment with an official in his office saying he was out of the country, while his deputy, Mr Lazarus Dokora, was said to be locked up in meetings.

According to some teachers’ unions, about 70 percent of candidates failed to register for the exams after their parents said they could not afford the fees.

The non-issuance of "O" and "A" Level certificates came to light after several people complained about the inconvenience this was causing to their career prospects.

Some students said they had failed to further their studies or take up employment, while others complained that they had missed out on overseas scholarships.

"I wrote my exams two years ago and I still do not have an ‘A’ Level certificate. I cannot go to university or college because they want to see copies of the original documents and I cannot even get a job because employers say it is easy to forge a results slip.

"People want to see certificates and this is compromising my future," said a 20-year-old former Churchill Boys’ High School student.

Parents who spoke to The Herald hit out at Zimsec, saying the exam body was "playing games" with their children’s future.

On the fate of those who failed to register for this year’s exams, a Finance Ministry source said a meeting with Education officials did not take place on Friday because of some logistical problems.

An official with the Ministry of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture yesterday confirmed that the meeting had been aborted.

"There were some logistical problems, but we remain seized with the need to deal with the plight of the students. The meeting will now take place on Monday or Tuesday," he said.

Candidates have been asked to pay US$10 and US$20 per subject for "O" and "A" Level papers respectively, with Zimsec last week saying they could only revise this figure and the deadline if they received a Government directive stating as much.

Parents have called on Government to either extend the deadline and reduce the fees or alternatively allow all candidates to sit for the exams and then ensure payment before the collection of results next year.

The exam body has on numerous occasions been accused of inefficiency, resulting in exam papers disappearing, candidates getting the wrong results and markers not getting paid on time.

Zimsec, in turn, blames the lack of resources for hindering its efforts to offer quality services.

Labels: EDUCATION

posted by MrK @ 8:48 PM