Cala research community predators on the prowl
By Staff Writer
Labour unions for teachers have raised concerns over ordinary community members who are demanding money from desperate pupils to offer them assistance on the newly-adopted Continuous Assessment Learning Activity (Cala) research.
CALA is any learning activity or assessment that requires learners to perform, demonstrate their knowledge, understanding or proficiency. The projects the pupils carry out will constitute 30% of their coursework for the final examination under the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) for each subject. The curriculum requires learners to carry out three Cala components per learning area.
Due to limited time to complete the syllabi and complete the Cala projects, some Zimsec 2021 candidates are seeking assistance from ordinary community members, forcing parents to part with their hard earned cash ranging from US$10- $20 to pay for the services.
Teachers objected to the implementation of the programme, arguing that it was unnecessarily disrupting pupils’ learning in schools when they had limited time to complete the syllabi after the COVID-19 disruptions.
Pupils are being forced to go into communities as part of the Cala research, where they mingled with individuals from various backgrounds, risking contracting COVID-19.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe president Takavafira Zhou said, “A group of people have emerged that demand US$10 for Grade 7 research and US$20 for secondary school Cala projects. The process has been marred with confusion because of limited time.
The whole essence of Cala is the blending of theory and practical experience. But because of limited time, students have embarked on hiring other people and unemployed teachers to do this for them. Are we assessing pupils? Government must listen.”
Primary and Secondary Education deputy minister Edgar Moyo commented that Cala was a very important assessment tool for the new competence-based curriculum which could not be withdrawn.
Zimbabwe Teachers National Union chief executive Manuel Nyawo said if government is to enforce Cala, it should at least consider to pardon the candidates who were struggling to catch up with the syllabi.
“Students are hard pressed as they are struggling to catch up with their unfinished syllabus while at the same time battling with the newly-introduced Calas which are still little known even to their own teachers,” he said.
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