ZIMSEC fails to meet marking deadline for A and O Level exams

ZIMSEC fails to meet marking deadline for A and O Level exams

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By Fikile Mapala

THE troubled Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) has recalled ‘O’ and ‘A’ level examiners to work at regional marking centres after the overworked markers failed to beat the December deadline.

ZIMSEC has since indefinitely extended the marking exercise after the few examiners who turned up for the exercise last year failed to cope with the overwhelming work allocations.

Contract markers have been instructed to check-in at their respective centres on January 3 while marking is scheduled to resume on January 4, after breaking for the festive holidays on December 24.

Fewer teachers turned up to mark the October/November 2007 exams last December citing poor remuneration.

ZIMSEC authorities have put the overall turnout at less than 50 percent of the expected workforce.

According to the ZIMSEC marking timetable, the two-week long exercise was supposed begin on December 4 and be completed before Christmas on December 19 last year to enable markers to travel back to their homes ahead of the festive season.

But by December 23, markers were still at the various regional marking centres dotted around the country as they tried to grapple with re-allocated answer scripts that could not be taken up by those who had not reported for duty.

ZIMSEC regional managers from various marking centres in the country confirmed that the marking exercise had been extended indefinitely after examiners failed to meet the December deadline.

In Mashonaland Central Province, ZIMSEC regional manager Amos Manyara indicated that markers had failed to finish marking before the Christmas holiday.

“They are expected to return for marking this Wednesday. The markers were not able to finish marking the allocations before Christmas as planned. Given the progress that markers have made so far, I think they will need more time because there is still a lot of work to be done”, said Manyara.

The ZIMSEC regional chief also revealed that they were facing eviction from Bindura University of Science Education where the markers were boarding as university authorities indicated they could no longer afford to host them. Bindura University administrators argue that markers have overstayed.

Manyara said ZIMSEC was making arrangements to relocate the History Paper 2 markers to Belvedere Technical Teachers College in Harare as soon as they arrived in Bindura.

He added that a ZIMSEC bus would be secured to ferry markers to Harare were they would continue with the marking exercise.

ZIMSEC regional manager for Mashonaland West Province Knowledge Ziyambe also confirmed that markers stationed at Chinhoyi University of Technology were still to finish work well after the December 19 deadline.

“Most of the markers here did not finish marking. We hope they will be able to finish before schools open for the first term. The other problem is that the markers have not yet been paid and may face problems raising bus fares to come back and continue marking”, said Ziyambe.

He explained that a lot of the markers were overwhelmed by the allocations given this year which were in most cases double the standard workload depending on the subject.

Sources say markers at Chinhoyi University have also been given marching orders by the college authorities who say their budget has been exhausted since it was meant to last only until November 19.

The Shona Paper 2 and English Paper 2 markers at the marking centre are also likely to be transferred to Belvedere Technical Teachers College in Harare or Seke Teachers College in Chitungwiza, sources said.

The two teachers’ colleges including the Harare Institute of Technology and Harare Polytechnic still owe ZIMSEC accommodation services after the markers at the four centres were summarily evicted from the college halls of residence to make way for delegates to the Zanu PF congress which took place in the capital mid-December.

Authorities say marking is set to resume on Thursday at all ZIMSEC marking centres in Mutare, Bulawayo, Gweru, and Masvingo amid projections that the exercise is likely to extend into the first school term because of limited manpower and a possible boycott by disgruntled markers.

Fears remain that markers -- who are broke because ZIMSEC has not yet paid them -- are likely to fail to raise enough funds to travel to their respective marking centres.

Confirming that ZIMSEC had not yet paid markers their subsistence and travel allowances, ZIMSEC director Happy Nganga said it was because of circumstances beyond his control.

“We had promised to pay our markers before the 19th of November but because of circumstances beyond our control we cannot. That’s all I can say for now. But we are going to pay them very soon. We will have to deposit the amounts into their accounts”, said Ndanga.

Sources say ZIMSEC had failed to pay the markers their allowances as they were still waiting for a cash injection from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ). The RBZ has promised to give ZIMSEC money to pay markers after the exams body revealed to government early December that it was broke.

The Progressive Teachers Union (PTUZ) blasted ZIMSEC for abusing teachers and urged markers to boycott the extended marking exercise until the exams body pays up.

PTUZ president, Takavafira Zhou, said ZIMSEC had deliberately breached its contract with markers adding that the markers should withdraw their labour until they are paid what they are owed by the institution.

He said: “What ZIMSEC is doing to our teachers is criminal. It is wrong to use teachers as markers without keeping the promise to pay accordingly. ZIMSEC was supposed to pay markers before December 19 but up until today no one has been paid.

“Astonishingly they want the same markers to return and continue marking. We are telling all markers to boycott the extended marking exercise until they are paid.”

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