A storm is brewing over Zimbabwe’s education policy after government moved to make Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) exams compulsory for all learners from 2027, triggering sharp public scrutiny and renewed questions over trust in the system.
By Advent Shoko
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Torerayi Moyo says the policy is designed to strengthen the local education framework, with Cambridge Assessment International Education exams only allowed under strict conditions. However, the announcement has opened a wider national conversation that goes beyond examinations, touching on consultation, infrastructure, and credibility.
At the centre of the debate is a question many Zimbabweans are now asking openly: if ZIMSEC exams are good enough for all learners, why are political elites still sending their children abroad or enrolling them in international systems?
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) President Dr Takavafira Zhou raised strong concerns over both policy formulation and infrastructure realities in the education sector. He told Zigoats.com:
“Minister Moyo is introducing new policies and seemingly imposing them on teachers without adequate consultation. There is need for meaningful engagement with stakeholders. A bottom-up approach could help produce more practical and effective policies that genuinely transform the education sector and Zimbabwe at large.
Instead of focusing on secondary issues, the Minister should conduct nationwide school visits to assess the real state of infrastructure. Many schools are in a dilapidated condition, with some lacking proper classroom structures altogether in this day and age. That should be a national priority.
Assuming the policy is well-intentioned, Sei vakawanda vari maMinisters and MPs nhasi uno vasingadi kuti vana vavo vadzidze muZimbabwe nokunyoravo ZIMSEC?” (why are many Ministers and MPs today unwilling for their own children to study in Zimbabwe and sit for ZIMSEC exams?”)
Another academic who spoke to ZiGoats.com on condition of anonymity added:
“For the parents of school-going children it’s prudent to have their children acquire an education that has wider acceptance globally. No wonder why most of our high and mighty talk East but send their children West.”
The remarks have amplified growing public sentiment that education reforms must be matched with visible investment in school infrastructure and teacher welfare.
The ZIMSEC exams debate comes at a time when Zimbabwe’s education system, once regarded as one of the strongest in Africa, is facing mounting pressure. Critics point to underfunding, deteriorating learning conditions, and declining competitiveness in regional rankings.
Budget allocations to education have also remained constrained in recent years, raising concerns over whether policy ambitions are being backed by sufficient financial support.
For many parents, the issue is no longer just about examinations, but about quality, global competitiveness, and trust in the future of Zimbabwe’s learners.
As 2027 approaches, the government faces a defining test: not only implementing the policy, but convincing citizens that the system being promoted is one that even decision-makers fully believe in.
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