HIGHER and Tertiary Education minister Amon Murwira yesterday told Parliament that there was no going back on public examinations set to start next week despite fears that students had lost the bulk of their study time to the COVID-19 lockdown. BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA Murwira said this during the National Assembly’s question-and-answer session after MPs expressed reservations over students’ state of preparedness. Magwegwe legislator Anele Ndebele (MDC Alliance) said students at private schools were more prepared than their counterparts at public schools where teachers are on strike. But Murwira insisted that students were ready for examinations after receiving some lessons virtually. “The government is trying its best to make sure that there is harmony in the education sector; it is a matter of putting interest in education,” he said. “The Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council is doing its best to prepare for exams, which will not be written in a compromising position. It is up to us as people to prepare for students to sit for exams without anybody being compromised. “There are various ways to make sure that lessons are done, and the ministry provided radio lessons and there is internet. Therefore, there are no ill intentions to harm students. We are faced with a situation where flexibility has to happen.” The minister said government had realised that it “was swimming in dirty water” and could not defer the examinations indefinitely because of COVID-19.