Review grading system for practicals, Zimsec urged

• Published date: 02 April 2018
• Publication title: The Herald

Zimsec HQWhinsley Masara recently in nyanga. THE Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) has been urged to review its grading system for practical subjects to enable academically challenged, but practically gifted pupils to pass.

Researchers from the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development said Zimsec should consider awarding more marks for practical work than theory to turn U's from academically challenged but practically gifted pupils into A's. This was said during presentation of a research paper titled: "School-based assessment a panacea for low pass rate at Ordinary Level in practical subjects" recently at the fourth annual research and innovation conference hosted by the Bulawayo Polytechnic College in Nyanga.

The two-day conference, held under the theme "Research-based STEMitised Innovations: Solutions to revive Zimbabwe", was aimed at finding solutions to reviving the country's economy. "Zimsec summative assessment criteria at O-Level for practical subjects seem to render the formative practical useless.

Academically challenged learners with manual dexterity competencies are automatic failures..

"Observations have been made in fields like: Computer Studies, Food and Nutrition, Fashion and Fabrics that most learners who excel in practical work fail the summative examinations. "They never move to the next levels of education simply because of failure to express the learned material on paper.

The formative practical mark contributes insignificantly to the O-Level examination," said the presenter. A researcher from Mutare Polytechnic, Mrs Chido Bvumisani, said Zimsec did not take into account the daily practical activities carried out by learners.

"Assessment...