Harare — Ordinary Level examinations begin today amid reports that school administrators are making frantic efforts to convince teachers to invigilate without compensation after the school term closes on December 4.

Candidates start sitting for Advanced Level papers tomorrow and the public exams are scheduled to end on December 18.

Some schools had by yesterday made arrangements with parents and guardians to pay teachers for the invigilation of papers written when the term ended.

It is understood that each teacher would be paid US$2 per day from December 5 to 18.

Yesterday, Zimbabwe School Examinations Council director Mr Happy Ndanga said despite the setbacks that had beset preparations, things had eventually gone smoothly.

"We assure all stakeholders that all is in place for the 2009 public examinations.

"All question papers were sent to all examination centres more than a week ago from where school heads collected them," said Mr Ndanga,

He was confident that no more problems would distract the exams body from discharging its core business of assessing candidates as per the Zimsec Act.

School heads in Harare interviewed yesterday confirmed collecting question papers from their district and provincial centres, but said the major problem would be convincing teachers to invigilate without compensation for the 14 "extra" days.

"We received the question papers on Monday, but our teachers have said they are going to invigilate up to the 4th of December.

"They are demanding to be paid as from December 5 to 18 and this has forced us to call all parents with candidates writing so that we map the way forward for the benefit of the children," said a senior teacher at St Peter's Kubatana High School in Highfield.

Another Harare school head said they had made arrangements with parents to pay invigilators at their school at least US$2 per day from December 4-18

He said US$1 was for transport and the other for food.

"Everything is in place for the exams, but since the Government said it has no money to pay invigilators, we agreed that parents pay so that their children write," said the head.

This year's examinations have been marred by chaotic preparations with the country recording the lowest registration levels ever owing to "exorbitant" fees which most parents and guardians could not afford.

Exams were further thrown into turmoil when teachers demanded payment for the "extra" work of invigilating exams after schools closed.

Educationist Dr Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said: "The present educational problems are bound to reverse the important upward and international recognition, so Government has to chip in if education is its priority."

"Let's not deprive the students of their education because that is like depriving the nation the future," said Dr Ndlovu.

He noted that people had also overlooked the role of illegal Western sanctions in the problems bedevilling the education sector.

The Government has said it cannot afford to pay them and urged the educators to make sacrifices.

The Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe promised to mobilise its members to undertake the national duty while negotiations continue.