Zimsec encourages online registration

By Sikhumbuzo Moyo/Nqobile Tshili

Government has said 2020 Zimbabwe School Examination Council (Zimsec) public examinations candidates should register online while it assesses the effectiveness of the virtual platforms.

Registration for Ordinary Level and Advanced Level public examinations is expected to end on April 9.

Government has however hinted that it could be forced to postpone as some candidates may fail to register.

The country is in a nationwide 21-day lockdown that started yesterday to combat the spread of Covid-19.

President Mnangagwa declared Covid-19 a national disaster and the lockdown is part of the measures to curb the spread of the virus.

Some schools were yesterday attending to pupils who want to register for the public examinations.

At Cowdray Park Secondary School pupils came in large numbers to register for the exams.

Pupils who spoke to the news crew said they had no option as they had not received any information to the contrary.

It was also observed that there were no sanitisers at the school for both staff and visitors.

“The deputy head said we must come today to register, we know there is a lockdown but there is nothing we can do,” said a one of the pupils.

When the Chronicle news crew visited the school in the afternoon, the deputy headmaster Mr Vikani Moyo said they told pupils to go back home and did not attend to them.

“The instruction for them to come today was before the announcement of the lockdown on Friday. As for us we are here at the school because we haven’t been told to stay home by our employer, the Public Service Commission,” said Mr Moyo

Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary Mrs Tumisang Thabela said Government will continue to register candidates.

“We want to use online and see how that will go and as we get to the deadline, we assess the situation and see how we can proceed,” said Mrs Thabela. The Chronicle