Antony Chawagarira
MASVINGO — A Grade Seven pupil at Rujeko Primary School was forced to rewrite a mathematics examination after a sudden whirlwind swept the learner’s answer sheet out of the classroom.
The bizarre incident happened on Tuesday while pupils were writing the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) Grade Seven mathematics multiple-choice paper.
Masvingo District Schools Inspector Ishmael Chigaba confirmed the incident, saying the answer sheet was blown away through an open classroom window as teachers moved around the room collecting the scripts.
“Yesterday, there was an incident at Rujeko Primary while the Grade Seven learners were writing a multiple-choice paper. One of the candidates’ answer sheets was blown out of the classroom through an open window by a whirlwind which suddenly appeared,” DSI Chigaba said.
He said the missing script could not be recovered despite efforts by teachers and pupils to search both around the school premises and outside the perimeter wall.
“The paper was not recovered. The school authorities contacted ZIMSEC, who quickly came to the school. After assessing the situation, the candidate was asked to rewrite the paper,” he said.
DSI Chigaba said the matter had been handled professionally and assured everyone that the situation was under control.
The incident reportedly caused commotion at the school as teachers and pupils searched for the missing examination script, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
The affected learner was subsequently allowed to rewrite the paper after ZIMSEC officials assessed the circumstances surrounding the loss of the answer sheet.
The incident has since generated considerable discussion in the community, with some residents expressing disbelief that an examination answer sheet could be swept away just moments before it was collected.
On social media, some residents attributed the unusual incident to traditional beliefs and superstition, although there was no evidence to support such claims.
Authorities, however, maintained that the matter was an examination-related incident caused by the sudden whirlwind, and there was no indication that the answer sheet had been deliberately removed.
The incident comes as Grade 7 learners across Zimbabwe sit for their final primary school examinations, which determine their progression to secondary education.
