By Staff Reporter
HARARE — The Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) has accused the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) of publishing misleading and unreliable national examination results.
The union alleges that opaque grading and moderation practices amount to what it describes as “fake results.”
In a statement titled Public Examination Evaluation Crisis: End of Year Reflection, A ARTUZ deputy secretary general Munyaradzi Masiyiwa said ZIMSEC’s lack of transparency has severely undermined confidence in the public examinations system and entrenched inequalities in the education sector.
“Zimsec’s opaque grading system attempts to maintain a consistent pass rate, but it’s a facade that hides significant disparities,” Masiyiwa said.
“The standardization and moderation processes are not publicly disclosed, raising serious concerns about fairness and integrity.”
ARTUZ noted that despite two curriculum updates introduced by government since 2017, teachers’ welfare has continued to deteriorate while learners have become increasingly disillusioned with the education system.
The union contrasted ZIMSEC’s operations with South Africa’s quality assurance body, Umalusi, which publicly discloses its standardisation principles and processes.
“Unlike Umalusi, which publishes its principles and processes for standardization, Zimsec operates in secrecy,” Masiyiwa said.
According to ARTUZ, the average O-Level pass rate over the past nine years stands at 29.9 percent, a figure the union argues masks inconsistencies and manipulation in grading standards.
Masiyiwa said “inconsistent grading can probably turn a Grade C score in 2017 to be a Grade A in 2025,” further eroding the credibility of the examinations system.
ZIMSEC’s November O-Level pass rates between 2017 and 2023 have ranged from 24.8 percent to 32.83 percent, a pattern ARTUZ argues reflects artificial stability rather than genuine improvements in learning outcomes.
The union further warned that national averages conceal deep disparities between regions and school types.
“Rural and marginalized communities suffer the most, while national averages render the data meaningless for local stakeholders,” Masiyiwa said.
ARTUZ called for immediate reforms, including the publication of district- and provincial-based pass rates, separate results for public and private schools, and full disclosure of grading, standardization and moderation criteria.
The union also demanded improved remuneration and collective bargaining to “restore teacher dignity.”
Masiyiwa also criticised policymakers, arguing that “those driving reforms often do not send their children to public schools,” instead opting for foreign examination boards such as Cambridge, a trend he said has fuelled the growth of private schools owned by politically connected elites.
“The time for change is now,” Masiyiwa said. “Education for all should mean education for us all, not just a privileged few.”
ZIMSEC had not responded to the allegations at the time of publication.
