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Mukudzei Chingwere

Herald Reporter

Authorities have put in place adequate measures to cater for public examination candidates affected by transport challenges without compromising the credibility of the system by allowing latecomers to write in a secure room.

Those who arrive at their centres late, but before the conclusion of the exam, when other candidates are released, will be accommodated in other rooms to take their examinations without having contact with those who might finish earlier.

There will be exceptions for those who arrive after the examination is done and Zimbabwe School Examination Council (zimsec) officials at the centres will make a decision on genuine cases.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has engaged the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development to prioritise learners going for examinations when boarding zupco buses.

Communications and Advocacy director in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr Taungana Ndoro, said the developments allowed all those scheduled to write examinations and wanted to write them managed to do so.

“There were challenges on Tuesday but we quickly acted on it and all the candidates who wanted to write were given the opportunity.”

Public transport has been disrupted by the Covid-19 containment measures with some Zupco kombis and buses filling before school childern could get seats.

However, the Government has made arrangements to cater for learners to be prioritised in these instances.

“There are instances when the exam starts at 8am ending at 10am for example, so if you are late the invigilators will make arrangements that you write without mixing with those who have already finished.

“There might be rare instances of those coming after the exam is finished, ZIMSEC officials and invigilators on the ground will assess and assist genuine cases,” said Mr Ndoro.

“We have engaged the Ministry of Transport to prioritise candidates going to write their exams and we have not yet had a problem.

“Since the start of the exams the system has gone on very well and we are yet to hear of any incident where a candidate who wanted to write failed to write an exam,” said Mr Ndoro.