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Ivan Zhakata-Herald Correspondent

THE Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) can stand its ground against any other examination board and is still internationally recognised even by some of the elite universities, chairperson of the local examination board Professor Eddie Mwenje has said.

This comes as some parents have been paying handsomely to register their children for Cambridge examinations, but according to Prof Mwenje there is no difference at all.

In an interview on the sidelines of the announcement of the Ordinary Level results on Monday, Prof Mwenje said Zimsec examinations were internationally recognised and countries such as  South Africa, Namibia and Swaziland among others were interested in adopting the examinations in their countries.

He said having Cambridge examinations in Zimbabwe showed that the country is democratic and candidates have the right to choose the examinations they want to write.

“Zimsec is internationally recognised that means in the region we are also very much appreciated as an examination board,” Prof Mwenje said.

“Cambridge is trying to extend its wings, its business as well for them and what is happening is now we have got schools, sometimes they have Cambridge and they may have Zimsec, I think that we are a national body and our aspects are to serve the Zimbabwean people.

“We have had requests by regional countries wanting to write Zimsec, so that we offer examinations there. We have had requests even from people in the diaspora who are saying can you not offer these examinations externally? 

“This shows the level of playing field that happens in a democratic society, some people come in, like Oxford can set up their centre here just like what they are doing in other countries and Cambridge University can set up its centre here.”

Prof Mwenje said there has been no decline in the number of candidates writing Zimsec examinations because of Cambridge examinations.

“We have not seen a decline when it comes to our statistics as to the candidates who take our examinations. Our examinations continue to have more candidates. Over the years, our figures of students who have been writing examinations are around 250 000 and 264 000, and in 2023 it was more than 270 000.

“We look at the population and we see that we are still fine when it comes to that and the credibility of our examinations. Our results are appreciated worldwide and this why we have to keep the reputation and integrity of our examinations. Our students leave here and they go to Harvard University, Oxford and other universities overseas which shows that Zimsec is internationally recognised.”