A NEW LOOK AT THE 1999 NZIRAMASANGA COMMISSION REPORT ON THE DISCONTINUATION OF GRADE 7 AND O’ LEVEL EXAMINATIONS BY BEN JOHN SIYAKWAZI PROFESSOR 0F PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION, GREAT ZIMBABWE UNIVERSITY
The Nziramasanga Commission was appointed by His Excellency Robert Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. It is normal practice throughout the world for a head of state to appoint Commissions of Enquiry, in this case one that was tasked with specific terms of reference concerning the education system.
BY Ben John Siyakwazi
The commission’s strategy was first to consult the Zimbabwean people about their educational needs as well as areas of concern that should be revisited. Their second task was to visit other countries and study their educational systems in order to learn from their experiences. This approach was scholarly and beneficial. The commission compiled report recommendations which it submitted it to President Robert Mugabe in 1999. Unfortunately, none of the ministries concerned with education, neither primary nor secondary, nor even the Ministry of Higher and tertiary education have appeared to be interested in facilitating discussion or initiating dialogue with society on the recommendations of the report to date. Seventeen years have passed, with no comment or deliberations arising from the publication of the report. As I see it, this calls into question their accountability and commitment to the educational development of our country.
In view of this situation, Bindura State University is to be congratulated for breaking the seventeen-years-long silence on the Commission’s recommendation by organising a public lecture on the Nziramasanga Commission Report.
Nziramasanga Commission recommendations on Discontinuing Examinations
The commission recommends that: • Zimbabwe should drop grade 7 and ordinary level examinations, as they have become irrelevant to modern education and costly for both government and parents. The justifications for this proposal are reflected in the Sunday Mail , August 9 2015. • that an examination-driven curriculum emphasises examinations at the expense of imparting knowledge to students. • that schools are producing half-educated students who struggle to fit into the modern job market. RESPONSES TO THE NZIRAMASANGA COMMISSION ON THE PROPOSAL TO SCRAP GRADE 7 AND O.L. EXAMINATIONS The various responses of the public as reflected in the media are as follows: • that dropping the examinations lowers standards; • that exams should stay; • that continuous assessment at grade 7 and O.L. is a waste of time; • that the Ministry has no plans to do away with exams; • that admission to universities will be difficult without exams; • that scrapping exams is educational vandalism; • that the proposal to scrap the examinations is ridiculous. These responses reflect the following: • mere claims without supportive evidence; • they reveal a lack of awareness of other educational systems in the world; • they fail to understand the concept of continuous assessment and how this promotes high standards in education; • the responses clearly demonstrate a lack of knowledge about continuous assessment and its principles as well as lack of understanding of the wide range of various forms of assessment that are available. It is noted that a sound knowledge about assessment practices would provide some insights that enable us to participate in the debate from an informed position. It is unfortunate that the majority of people who contributed to the debate did not correctly address the recommendations of the commission. Most people suggested that examinations should continue without presenting any well-thought-out justification. The merits and demerits of continuous assessment were not fully addressed.
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What is the merit of continuous assessment? The concept of continuous assessment is based on the fact that it is learner-centred and has its roots in progressivist school of thought. John Dewey, the distinguished American educationalist, philosopher, psychologist – and a prolific author – introduced learner-centred education as a system that promotes the needs and interests of the learner. Key to understanding his philosophy is the idea that the learner’s experience must be widened and deepened. He defines experience as having two aspects: firstly, interaction between the learner and the environment. Secondly, continuity. It is the latter that the author wishes to emphasise here. In other words experiences that are reflected in the syllabus must be continuously assessed in order to measure their effectiveness.
WHAT IS CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT? What are the forms of assessment that classroom teachers might use? What are the key principles of assessment? These are relevant and important questions.
What is assessment? In order to contribute effectively and objectively to the debate we must seek to understand the concept of continuous assessment and its merits and demerits. Assessment may be defined as a process of gathering, describing or quantifying information about the performance of the learner. According to McMillan (1993), assessment comes from the Latin word ‘assessaue,’ meaning to sit beside and judge the worth of. This implies that assessment is carried out by someone who has extensive knowledge of the issues being assessed.
Below is a comprehensive statement on assessment by McMillan, in Angelo and Cross (1993: 2): Classroom assessment is a simple method teachers and lecturers can use to collect feedback, early and often, on how well their students are learning, what they are being taught. The purpose of classroom assessment is to provide the teacher, lecturers and students with information and insight needed to improve teaching effectiveness and learning quality. College instructors use feedback gleaned through classroom assessment to inform adjustments in their teaching. Teachers and lecturers also share feedback with students, using it to help them improve their learning strategies and study habits in order to become more independent and successful learners. Finally continuous classroom assessment is one of the major methods of inquiry within the framework of classroom research, a broader approach to improving teaching and learning.
WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS FORMS OF ASSESSMENT? Written work, Tests, Essays , Group work, Examinations, Seminars, Debates, Class participation, Class discussion, Independent work, Standardised testing, Portfolios, Case studies, Summary of a book or journal, Critique of an article, Observations, Research projects, Journal writing, Self-reflection on a lecture, Open book test, Multiple choice questions, Open-response questions, Matching, etc. It is assumed that teachers will select those forms of assessment that are appropriate to the class level – primary, high school and tertiary.
WHAT ARE THE KEY PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT? Goosen puts forward the following principles of assessment, appropriateness, fairness, manageability, integration into work and learning, validity, sufficiency, systematic, consistent, authenticity etc. Classroom teachers must be well versed of the principles on assessment in teaching and learning environment.
Views in support of dropping school fees The Progressive Teachers’ Union President, Dr. Takavafira Zhou says: • Parents and guardians are finding it hard to raise fees (Sunday Mail, 23rd August 2015. He further states, “our system should be open to constructive change” (Herald, 24 August 2015). In addition the Mirror October 9-15, 2015) reveals that 46 household were placed on drought relief in Masvingo. This is among the top four provinces most ravaged by food shortages in the country. Parents in this difficult situation cannot afford payment of exam fees.
It is noted that parents’ failure to pay fees is a huge burden for them. This is clearly evidenced by an article in Newsday, Tuesday 8 September 2015, entitled “Children’s education mustn’t be sacrificed,” which states: ‘The late greatest fear is that there could be an unspecified rise in school dropouts as parents struggle to raise enough money for school fees as many of them are jobless following the recent job cuts while there is also uncertainty in the informal sector from which the majority of the people have been eking out a living.’
• Do parents have the ability and capacity to pay examination fees? Newsday (Thursday September 3 2015) says, “75% are likely to be unable to pay fees.” This view is supported by a recent household survey, where participants indicated that “75% of parents were likely to be unable to pay school fees as the economic situation in the community deteriorates.” This was revealed by the director of the Poverty Reconstruction Forum, Judith Kaulem. In addition, the Herald reports that 13,000 learners drop out of school yearly www.herald.co.zw) This is indeed an alarming and frightening number.
Again, in an article in the Daily News of September 8, 2015, entitled, ”Parents struggle with school fees,” the parents interviewed predicted that they would be unable to pay fees, and this was hurting families hard.
Views on Dropping Examinations “Government is facing criticism for introducing fees for the grade 7 examination.” (Sunday Mail, August 7 2015). It appears that there are contradictions regarding the issue of exam fees. The Commission on the one hand recommends dropping fees, but on the other hand the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education announced that “O” Level examination fees have increased from $13 to $15. (Daily News. April 7 2015). Such contradictions confuse parents and students.
“Government has approved the gradual collection of examination fees for candidates sitting for next year’s Grade Seven examination in order to ease the pressure on parents and guardians, Primary and Secondary Education Minister Lazarus Dokora has said.” (Daily News, October 11 2015).
Views Expressed in Support of Examinations The Zimbabwe National Report on the Status of Education by at the 48th session of the UNESCO International
Conference on Education, Geneva 25-28 November 2008. 1.1.8 0 NATIONAL PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS States: Examination pass rate is one of the indicators of quality education in Zimbabwe. Greater emphasis is put on examinations as they are used to provide access to higher learning as well as career opportunities. Schools, districts, province and national levels are rated in their performance at public examinations that are administered at the end of seven-year primary course, ordinary and advanced level “course”
The above statement is true from a narrow perspective. This is the traditional view that is promoted by the perennialist school of thought, and it is not progressive. Other approaches need to be taken by looking at the situation of education from a global perspective.
Parents in Zimbabwe today are unemployed and poverty stricken people, who struggle daily to put food on the table. Their children grow up in poverty and feel like neglected second class citizens. This is not what we want for our country. Negative impact of examinations on students and parents Let us now turn to the negative impact of examinations on students who fail the examinations, either at grade 7 or O’ level. The following issues have been reflected: • students are branded as failures in life; • students suffer from depression and frustration; • students commit suicide in some cases; • students lack skills to earn a living; • parents are disappointed and feel stigmatised; • failures lower the ranking of schools; • high failure rates tarnish the image of a school. • Some exam cheats are convicted. Let us now turn to other countries which have dropped examinations. We begin with the experience of the state of Massachusetts in the U.S.
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, commonly shortened to (MCAS) as part of the Commonwealth’s state-wide standards-based assessment programmes, developed in 1993, in response to the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of the same year. State and federal law mandates that all students who are enrolled in the tested grades and who are educated with Massachusetts public funds participate in MCAS testing.
MCAS has three primary purposes: • To inform and improve curriculum and instruction; • To evaluate student, school, and district performance according to Massachusetts Curriculum Framework (http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/tdd/pld/); • To determine student eligibility for the Competency Determination requirement in order to award high school diplomas.
If we drop examinations how will universities assess students for admission? It should be noted that the Nziramasanga Commission visited several countries with the goal of studying their educational systems. Zimbabwe was interested in the practices of other countries so that we might modify and adapt it to suit our own schools. Dropping examinations and replacing them by continuous assessment is not a new phenomenon in other countries: for instance, in the United States the system has been in operation for over a hundred years. The system there is decentralised, and each state is responsible for its own education system. How are students admitted to universities if examinations are no longer held?
A high school student who seeks admission at a university will do the following: • Firstly: request the high school to send a continuous assessment report to the University of his/her choice. • Secondly: the student sits for a Standard Achievement Test or SAT. Normally this test is set by an independent board in which the high school and the Department of Education both do not participate.
The prospective student is admitted on his /her performance according to the criteria above. There is no fear about lowering standards. In the World Ranking of (universities) 2014-2015, U.S.A. has 50% of the top universities in the world, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, MIT etc. Is it hardly a lowering of standards if MIT can prepare scientists who land on the moon! Some of the most famous economists, business people, politicians in leadership and educationists have graduated from these universities. The USA discontinued primary and secondary school examinations many years ago. Where is the lowering of standards here?
In fact countries which have abandoned the culture and practice of examinations such as the U.S.A and Germany are some of the most advanced nations in the world. Most of the outstanding researchers who have had great impact in solving societal problems and creating inventions live in these countries. It is important to note that the Nobel Prize winner have come from these countries. The majority of African countries have a centralised examination system. It is noted that in the 2015 world ranking of universities, no African university ranked between 1 and 50.
It is my strong belief that African universities can also excel but we must critically review our systems of education. Our educational policies should be guided and informed by research, not opinions.
Should Zimbabwe accept the proposal to drop Grade 7 and O’ Level examinations and replace them by continuous assessment. How is this to be implemented?
The literature shows that some innovative educational programmes have not succeeded because of failure to come up with a clear policy for implementation. If the Commission’s recommendations are adopted, the following plan of action may be considered:
. Staff Orientation: This is quite critical, as research has shown that there is a tendency to implement programme without the relevant administrative skills and experience. It will be necessary to hold workshops for all classroom teachers, headmasters, education officers, lecturers and professors who are involved in teacher education programmes so that they acquire sound skills in continuous assessment.
In an article entitled, “Implementing Nziramasanga report on education is laudable”, October 17, 2014 in Editorial, News Day. The author bemoans the delay as he states:
“Delaying the implementation of the Nziramasanga report means that Zimbabweans are 15years behind other countries yet our education would have greatly promoted the betterment of Zimbabweans. No doubt, the lack of vision and direction by policy makers have resulted in so many social problems which Zimbabwe could have avoided, if that report had been implemented … because skills for the knowledge of economy are built at the tertiary education level. The skills ensure that their workforce acquires the skills to complete, innovate and respond to complex social, environmental and economic situation.”
In addition, all professionals in the theory and practice of education ought to have a sound understanding and knowledge of the implementation of continuous assessment.
Finally, it is my hope that, this article adds some light on the recommendation of Nziramasanga Commission. Its proposal on the discontinuation of Grade 7 and ‘O’ level examination is very progressive and will add value and promote productive quality education. If the recommendation is approved with government and parents will not pay examination fees and examination leakages will be a thing of the past.
