By Dr Takavafira Zhou
The efficacy of continuous assessment learning area has never been in any serious doubt where it is properly planned. The basis of such success is robust engagement of teachers as the implementers of educational reforms, availing resources by state for workshops and successful implementation based on developed standardised tools of assessment and interoperability, as well as adequate time for piloting the intended reforms before implementation.
Indeed, broad engagement of teachers as the implementers is crucial as they in essence develop CALA, assessment instruments, contextualise CALA, facilitate learning and CALA execution, administer CALA assessment instruments; monitor, supervise and support learners during CA activity; mark CA records, keep CA records, profile learners’ competencies, report performance of learners to stakeholders, ensure security of CALA scripts, and guard against malpractices. Put succinctly, it is teachers that must provide comprehensive standardised assessment tools to guarantee success of continuous assessment (CA).
Continuous assessment must ensure the successful blending of theory and practical experience and therefore guarantee the imparting of life serving skills to students that can enable them to function beyond the classroom. It, therefore, promotes functional literacy as opposed to the dysfunctional literacy in Zimbabwe.
However, the commandist, haphazardous, meddling and muddling through in which the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is trying to implement it in Zimbabwe, has no traction. Firstly, its implementation with immediate effect was announced by the Minister, Cain Matema, this year after the disasterous 2020 Grade 7 results. There was no engagement of teachers for the implementation process and no budgetary preparation for its implementation in advance. The Ministry just announced through the media that with immediate effect CALA would be implemented in schools starting with 2021 candidates. CA tasks reportedly constitute 30% of the exam mark. Secondly, the Ministry has commanded provinces to arrange rashed workshops for all exam class teachers with effect from this week. There is no budget for such workshops and schools are expected to fund teachers and school heads attendance of such workshops. We wonder what type of child play is this?
Without even guaranteeing success of the workshops, the Ministry has called for total compliance and want CA marks for every learner before end of term on June 4 2021. Teachers are incapacitated and reporting for duty a minimum of one day and maximum of two days per week but Ministry expect them to attend workshops and do the impossible CA mammoth tasks. Pupils are already either writing end of term exams or winding business of this term, yet Ministry in its wisdom or lack of it, hope teachers to train on a zero budget for CALA implementation and to have developed tasks for all the subjects, let alone provide marks for the first task per every subject by 4 June. Already the workshops have been poorly attended, with those that have attended making it categorically clear that a starving teacher cannot successfully implement CA.
To expect teachers to develop 5 tasks per subject in 2021, develop marking guide, successfully monitor every student through the tasks, given our bloated classes, is mission impossible. To expect form 4 pupils to do a minimum of 40 tasks between now and October is madness of the worst order. With several pupils now doing more than 11 subjects one wonders how such pupils would afford 60 tasks before writing exams. Needless to point that the burdensome tasks would not afford even an industrious and well paid teacher an opportunity to cover the syllabus. Policymakers are guilty of selective forgetfulness. The current pupils did not cover syllabuses because of last year’s lockdown and ongoing teacher incapacitation, yet policy markers have now added burdensome tasks.
Policymarkers need to seriously interrogate if proposed changes are affordable and can be consistently implemented within existing administrative and human and financial resources constraints. By January 2021 the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education had a teaching personel deficit of 50000. More than 20000 teachers have resigned since January out of frustration, thereby worsening the teacher : pupil ration in schools. The truth that must be said to level headed Zimbabweans is that, in spite of the fact that CALA is a brilliant programme, it cannot be implemented by incapacitated teachers, without a budgetary allocation, without adequate pilot projects and broad engagement with teachers, and in a commandist, haphazardous muddling and meddling through. The current attempt to force it down the throats of incapacitated teachers and pupils, is mission impossible. The earlier we abandon the attempts and concentrate on capacitation of teachers, syllabus coverage under previous conditions, preparation for CA proper implementation in three years time, and resource mobilisation for its successful implementation, would be best for the country. Commandist approaches will never succeed in the education system. It is clear that several reforms that are introduced in our education system are coming from leaders who totally lack educational taxonomy and are operating in unfamiliar terrain. Education is not a terrain for weird experimentation, and the sooner leaders listen to professional advice that is a product of research, the better for the country and sustainable development in the 21st century.
Venceremos
*Dr Takavafira M. Zhou (Ptuz President)*
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