Exam cheats will be banned from sitting for exams for two years in addition to their results being cancelled, the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council has announced.
The Council will cancel results for pupils who were convicted of unlawfully accessing this year’s November examination material and bar them from sitting for its exams for two years.
At least 18 students were convicted in Chitungwiza, while others are still to appear at the Harare Magistrates Courts facing the same offence. Zimsec director Mr Isau Nhandara said in an interview last week that they were aware that more 30 candidates have been apprehended for cheating.
“Where there is evidence, people or candidates who were found with the extraneous material, the Zimsec provisions regulations will be instituted,” he said. “These involve cancellation of examination results that is as far as the provisions are concerned, while the legal process will carry on until it is completed.
“Those who were convicted, their results will be cancelled and the candidates will not be allowed to sit for Zimsec examinations for the next two years. That is what the Zimsec regulations provide for and the position of council (Zimsec).”
Mr Nhandara dismissed claims of a message that was circulating on the WhatsApp platform last week indicating that there was going to be a resit for O’ Level Mathematics Paper 1. The message read: “The Zimsec board is sorry to announce that the Ordinary Level Maths Paper 1 October/ November will be rewritten on December 8, 2015. For more information contact your exam centre. Please forward this to other exam students and parents of the students.”
Mr Nhandara said there would be no resits for any examination.