O’Level Exams, A Dilemma

By Staff Reporter

Harare- 2020 O’Level Examination classes face a dilemma amidst covid-19 fears as school opening day has been deferred to another date yet to be pronounced.

The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Cain Mathema said he was not sure if this year’s O’level examinations were going to proceed as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.

Responding to questions regarding the deferment of school opening date, Mathema confirmed schools would remain closed until further notice.

“I am not sure if the O’Level examinations are going to be written, it depends with the situation we have on our Covid-19 cases, I can’t predict,” Mathema said.

Mathema told Parliament that he was not sure of what was before them and whether students were going to sit for the O’level examination as the pandemic is a rare phenomenon which everyone can’t predict the intensity and severity thereof.

Legislators argued on the announcement of the date which was set to open school in parliament and they were left with no option but to agree on government directive while highlighting the challenges as the ministry was not ready to deal with pupils neither did they have adequate requisite material to proceed with studies.

Besides calls for the ministry to be fully equipped and ready in fighting Covid-19, teachers were also fighting their battle as they also requested that they get paid their salaries in US dollars.

Teachers had already notified their employers that they would not be coming to school once they open because of failure by the Government to address their salary challenges. Teachers’ unions were requesting Government to pay them in US dollars.

However the Minister of Legal and Parliamentary affairs, Ziyambi Ziyambi, responded to the call and said Government had no desire to abandon its local currency and it shall work to stabilise the economy and inflation rate.