By Beatific Gumbwanda
In a stark illustration of infrastructural challenges in the district, Zvamagamba Primary School, a satellite institution under the Chiredzi Rural District Council, is currently conducting its Grade 7 examinations at Dekeza Primary School in the neighbouring Zaka District.
The school’s status as an unregistered examination centre was highlighted just a few weeks ago during a tour of developmental projects organized by the Chiredzi Rural District Council.
During that tour, Chiredzi RDC Chairperson Aspect Mashingaidze urgently called on the school’s management to initiate the ZIMSEC registration process to secure the institution’s autonomous developmental future.
Despite this call to action, the situation remains unresolved, forcing learners to sit for their exams elsewhere.
The predicament is not unique to Zvamagamba. During the recent Full Council Meeting, Chiredzi RDC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ailes Baloyi reported that almost 32 schools across the district were still writing examinations at other, established centres while they await registration with the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC).
“Twenty-two schools have qualified for registration, which will reduce walking distances for learners during examination periods. For example, Chilotlela Primary School in Ward 12, Justin Chauke Secondary School in Ward 11, and Marambakuzara Primary School in Ward 12 are among those schools,” said Baloyi.
However, the path to registration is fraught with obstacles. ZIMSEC requires schools to meet specific standards, including proper school buildings, adequate staff housing, a reliable potable water source, and approved sanitation facilities.
A core challenge is that many of these schools continue to operate and enroll leaners despite not yet meeting these essential infrastructure benchmarks.
When contacted for comment on why many schools were not registered, Chiredzi District Schools Inspector (DSI) Micho Hove deferred to the individual schools, stating that each had its own unique circumstances.
“Thank you for reaching out. You may contact the concerned centre to find out why they are not yet a registered ZIMSEC centre,” Hove stated.
The list of unregistered schools is extensive, including Zvamagamba, Zinevi, Nyabogwe, Crown Range, and over two dozen others, spanning both primary and secondary levels.
In a recent development aimed at improving its chances of registration, Zvamagamba Primary received more than 300 bags of cement from Chiredzi North Member of Parliament, Roy Bhila, earmarked for the construction of teachers’ houses. Such interventions highlight the community and political will to resolve the problem, but also underscore the significant resource gaps that many schools still face.
