LOWER Sixth pupils are now expected to start lessons in the second term after the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) failed to release O-level results in time.
In the past years, Zimsec would release results weeks before the end of the first term giving prospective form five pupils time to enrol and learn for at least a month in the first term.
The first term of the year, is however, ending on Thursday and Zimsec is yet to release both Ordinary and Advanced level results for 2021.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has indicated that results will be released during the school holiday, and parents and guardians will have to use the holiday to look for form five places.
In an interview with Sunday News, the director of Advocacy and Communication in Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Mr Taungana Ndoro, said Lower Sixth pupils will start attending lessons in the second term.
“For now it is impossible to have a special arrangement for the Lower Sixth pupils for them to resume classes for the first term.
What will happen is that the parents and guardians will use the school holiday to look for places and they will start lessons with the rest of the classes for the second term.
For now we are awaiting Zimsec to release the Ordinary Level results which I believe is now imminent,” said Mr Ndoro.
Schools are expected to open for the second term on Tuesday, 3 May, 2022 and close on Thursday, 4 August, 2022.
Zimsec on the other hand has said there is no exact date yet set for the release of the results, with the body’s spokesperson, Ms Nicky Dlamini saying they were completing a few processes before the release of the results.
“For now I can say that the results will be out as soon as we are done with the current processes that are taking place, there is no exact date at the moment but everything is smooth sailing towards their release,” said Ms Dlamini.
Schools were slightly delayed this year for opening for the first term owing to the Covid-19 necessitated national lockdown.
However, the government has succeeded in putting in place adequate measures informed by World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ministry of Health and Child Care guidelines and to ensure that schools reopened safely.
Grade 7 results from last year’s examinations were also slightly delayed, with Form Ones starting school on February 14, a week after other classes. – Sunday News
