Pamushana High ‘O’ level results docked




Masvingo Provincial Education Director Zedias Chitiga
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BIKITA – The Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) has withheld some O level results for Pamushana High School in Bikita as investigations are being carried out to establish whether there has not been any cheating by the students or the school.
The results are for Mathematics and Computer Studies and all the 245 students who sat for the two subjects are affected.
Zimsec legal advisor, Advocate Zvobgo confirmed the development and told The Mirror that the examination board has authority under the law to withhold examination results if it has reasons to suspect that there was cheating.
He advised students affected to register for June examinations as no one knows when the results will be released.
Masvingo Provincial Education Director Zedias Chitiga also confirmed the development but said he could not say much because he had no details. The Mirror could not establish reasons for the suspected cheating at Pamushana, a school touted as one of the best in Masvingo Province as Advocate Zvobgo would not be drawn into details.
However, sources said the red flag particularly on the Mathematics papers was raised by the examination markers who noticed a sequence on the student’s answers.
The Mirror spoke to Pamushana High deputy head, Emmanuel Zingoni who confirmed the same.
“It is true that our Mathematics and Computer Studies results for the 2017 O level November Zimsec examinations have been withheld by ZIMSEC. We talked to ZIMSEC and they promised to release the results as soon as they complete their investigations” said Zingoni.
He also said awareness must be made to both students and teachers that cheating is a criminal offence that can attract a prison sentence for a period not exceeding one year.
He said that there have been many complaints by parents whose children’s results have been withheld. He said that some of them have actually gone to court to seek redress but they have lost their cases.
“The Zimsec Act permits the Council to withhold results when a candidate is involved in cheating and by so doing promote the integrity of ZIMSEC. We withhold such results for investigations.
“I urge those with withheld results to sit for June examinations this year because no one knows when these results will come out” added Advocate Zvobgo.
A parent with a child who wrote O level at Pamushana complained that the school was not taking back some students from the school because they did not have Mathematics yet the authorities know well of the withheld results.
“I don’t understand why Pamushana should not give my son a place for A level because he does not have Mathematics when they know that all those who sat for 2017 November examinations at this school do not have Mathematics”, said the disgruntled parent who declined to be named. – Masvingo Mirror