THE Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has linked the drop in the caliber of results obtained at the Ordinary and Advanced Level to the characteristics of external applicants who mostly appear for exams in June.
This week’s results were made public on Tuesday by the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec), showing a decline in the pass percentages for the A and O levels of 44,22% and 53%, respectively.
A spokesperson for the Primary and Secondary Education ministry, Taungana Ndoro, told NewsDay that a number of variables, including the makeup of external students who take the June examinations primarily, could be to blame for the lower pass percentage in the June exams.
He stated, “June exams usually have a larger percentage of external candidates and repeat students.”
Paul Mapfumo, the chairperson of the Zimsec board, told reporters following the results’ announcement that 144 students had registered for the June 2024 A Level exam, of which 125 were private candidates.
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Only 19, he stated, were prospects for school.
Ndoro claims that private candidates frequently deal with extra problems including juggling their education with other obligations or getting past their past academic setbacks.
However, he made it clear that the ministry was dedicated to making sure that every student, including returning and external applicants, had an equal opportunity to succeed.
We offer a variety of support systems, such as flexible learning alternatives, mentorship and tutoring, and access to study materials for individuals unable to attend regularly scheduled classes, according to Ndoro.
In the meanwhile, the government has announced that holiday courses for the November examination will start tomorrow and that schools will close today.
The holiday courses, according to Ndoro, will guarantee that applicants are ready for tests.
He declared, “To ensure high-quality instruction, we will provide qualified instructors and experienced teachers will conduct the lessons during these holiday lessons.”
Ndoro promised to make sure that candidates have access to extra study materials, practice tests, and concentrated revision sessions.
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He declared that “academic and psychological counseling will be available to address any student concerns.”
The dates of the examination class holiday courses were recently changed by the Primary and Secondary Education ministry, from August 19 to August 30 to August 9 to August 22.
