Teachers protest grade 7 exam abolishment

TEACHERS have protested the plan by the Government to abolish grade seven examinations and replacing them with continuous assessment.

Basic Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) and National Quality Education of Zambia (NAQEZ) say grade seven examinations were necessary because currently the country has no strong mechanism for continuous assessment.

BETUZ spokesperson, Kakunta Kabika, said grade seven examinations were important and should be maintained because it was the only established assessment tool for the country.

Mr Kabika said in an interview that grade seven examinations were the only credible and reliable assessment tool as the country has not yet developed a strong tool.

"Grade seven exams have worked well as an assessment tool, now if we abolish assessment program for grace seven exams, we will not be able to have a clear tool that we can use, we must continue to have the exams as always," he said.

NAQEZ executive director, Aaron Chanda, called for re-introduction of cut-off points of above 600 marks.

Mr Chansa raised concern on the current continuous assessment to allow all grade seven pupils to proceed to grade eight.

He said in an interview that the process was not academically good for the leaners because it does not inform the system about the nature of pupils that proceed to grade eight.

"Exams are necessary academically speaking, it must segregate the nature of candidates who are supposed to go to grade eight," he said.