IT sometimes appears that some government policymakers are more preoccupied with making life difficult for citizens than with solving the problems they face.
The latest example is a directive ordering all schools in Zimbabwe to offer examinations administered by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) from next year — a move that risks further squeezing parents whose only “crime” is choosing what they believe is best for their children.
Primary and Secondary Education minister Torerayi Moyo told the Senate last week that every school must offer Zimsec examinations.
Schools may continue to offer Cambridge Assessment International Education examinations, but they must also provide Zimsec examinations and explain how they intend to run both systems.
However, the directive appears fundamentally flawed.
The minister has not explained how pupils in Forms 3 and 5 will abruptly switch to the Zimsec syllabus and complete it in time for examinations.
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Curriculum changes are not administrative tweaks; they shape learners’ academic preparation over several years. Imposing such a shift abruptly risks disadvantaging thousands of students.
Rather than issuing a blanket directive, the government’s first responsibility should be to investigate why many schools and parents opt for Cambridge examinations instead of Zimsec.
The reasons are not difficult to find.
For years, Zimsec examinations have been dogged by credibility concerns — from leaked papers to candidates receiving incorrect examination scripts.
There have also been reports of examination papers going missing in schools.
Such incidents erode confidence in the system and push parents towards alternatives they perceive as more reliable.
Rebuilding trust in Zimsec should, therefore, be the priority.
Students writing Zimsec examinations are often forced to pay for extra lessons as teachers — frustrated by low salaries — turn to private tutoring to supplement their incomes.
The situation is markedly different in many schools offering Cambridge examinations, where teachers are generally better remunerated and some schools even provide free weekend lessons for examination classes.
Credibility cannot be decreed.
It must be earned through consistent professionalism, transparency and competence.
Zimbabwe’s education sector has already experienced several haphazard curriculum changes in recent years, forcing parents to repeatedly purchase new textbooks as learning frameworks shift.
Education policy must be guided by stability, consultation, and careful planning. Yet this directive appears to have been crafted with little consultation, much like previous curriculum changes.
Decisions that shape the future of Zimbabwe’s children cannot be rushed or imposed without first addressing the underlying structural weaknesses in the examination system.
If the government truly wants schools to embrace Zimsec, it must restore confidence in it.
Cambridge examinations are expensive — they cost an arm and a leg. Yet many parents choose to dig deeper into their pockets because they want an education for their children that is credible, predictable and globally recognised.
Heavy-handed directives will not resolve the deeper structural challenges bedevilling Zimbabwe’s education system.
What is needed instead is a collective effort to restore integrity and trust in Zimsec so that it becomes the natural choice for Zimbabwean students.