Six-day week proposed for December exam classes

Takudzwa Chihambakwe

The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) says it will not alter examinations to accommodate pupils who lost learning time due to Covid-19.

Instead, a six-day learning week will be introduced for students to cover enough ground before their final examinations in December. 

Schools open this September, starting with examination classes. 

Zimsec board chairperson Professor Eddie Mwenje said, “The ministry (Education) has made a good recommendation which will see some students going for six days a week to cover the syllabus.

“So they have given options that they can run from Monday to Saturday or alternatively go from Sunday to Friday”.

He added, “The exams were already set, so we are not altering anything. 

Let me hasten to say that Ordinary and Advanced Level classes started their studies in 2019 so the time left is adequate for them to cover what is left of the syllabus”.

Professor Mwenje said the examinations may spill into January 2021.

“While Grade Seven exams will start and end in December, for Ordinary and Advanced Level students we are still finalizing their schedule and they will most likely finish exams in January,” he said.

Final year classes will open on September 28,  while public examinations will begin on December 1.