Central Data Catalog

The Zimbabwe Early Learning Assessment (ZELA) has been administered annually since 2012 by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC), with the technical support of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the assessment design and administration. It targets grade 3 (ISCED 1) students in public, private and satellite schools. (Satellite schools are particular to Zimbabwe. They are temporary schools, linked to the government but which does not have the regular status, infrastructure or budget of a public school)

ZELA is a four-year research study funded by UNICEF as part of the Education Development Fund for Zimbabwe. Four cycles of the assessment are being administered: the baseline study in 2012; the monitoring cycles; and the evaluation cycle in 2015.

ZELA is a low-stake assessment. It is a written assessment, administered face-to-face and delivered through paper-pencil tests. All test-takers are presented with the same cognitive booklets or tests, which are aligned with the national curriculum.

ZELA aims to assess the impact of the UNICEF Education Transition Fund programme interventions (2012-2015). The Education Transition Fund provides essential material resources and support to increase access to quality education for all in Zimbabwe. The assessment also serves for planning education policy reforms and for other research purposes with regards to the UNICEF Education Development Fund.

Random sample

Results are available at the national level. Data are disagregated by sex, geographic location (urban and rural), and type of school (public, private and satellite).

Results are published in reports, which are available in print and online. Results are published in the media.