Zim Now Writer
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education has begun public hearings on the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council Amendment Bill, opening the programme in Lupane today before moving to a Bulawayo hotel tomorrow.
According to Parliament, the hearings will run from 25 to 29 August 2025.
The Bill seeks to update the Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council Act of 1994, which lawmakers say has become outdated and ill-suited to current demands for accountability, governance, and examination security in the digital age.
It was tabled in the National Assembly last month following persistent challenges, including exam leakages and other malpractices.
The Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association, the country’s largest teachers’ body, has welcomed the move.
“The ZIMSEC Amendment Bill is both necessary and overdue. The principal Act of 1994 has become increasingly misaligned with contemporary demands of assessment credibility, governance accountability, and international benchmarking,” said ZIMTA chief executive officer Dr Sifiso Ndlovu in his submission to Parliament.
While commending the Bill’s proposed reforms, Dr Ndlovu urged legislators to refine and strengthen certain provisions to close systemic loopholes and enhance resilience in examination management.
He particularly praised Clause 2 of the Bill, which expands the definition of examination malpractice to include modern forms of dishonesty such as the use of smart devices, tampering with scripts, and collusion at examination centres.
“These are overdue reforms, reflective of both digital and organised syndicate-based malpractices seen in recent ZIMSEC leakages,” he said.
Leave Comments