Zimbabwe: Blacks aren’t passing their own exams: 32 Matabeleland Schools Record 0% Pass Rate At Grade 7 Examinations.
[Very funny. Jan]TEN schools from the Matabeleland region made it into the country’s top 100 schools, in this year’s Grade Seven results, while 32 others from the region got a zero percent pass rate with the ministry saying it is seized with the dismal performance of the schools.
Matabeleland North has 15 schools with zero percent pass rate while in Matabeleland South 10 recorded zero percent pass rate, seven schools with zero pass rate came from Bulawayo. This year’s national pass rate decreased by 5.18 percent from 52 percent last year to 46.9 percent.
In Matabeleland region, Coalfields Primary School, Oakleigh House, Portland Primary School, Wellton Primary School, Amazon Primary School, Fairview Adventist Primary School and Maranatha Adventist Primary School recorded a 100 percent pass rate, while ZRP Ross Camp recorded 98,90 percent, Fusi Primary School in Gwabalanda, Bulawayo recorded 98,69 percent and Dominican Convent 96,36 percent.
The Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Cain Mathema, confirmed that this year’s Grade Seven results in Matabeleland dropped significantly compared to other years.
“Yes, some schools have performed dismally not only in Matabeleland but all over Zimbabwe. A number of schools recorded zero percent pass rate. As a ministry we will be working on finding out the reasons behind such performances. Of course, there may be issues to do with resource constraints. The fact that there are no proper classrooms, teachers have no houses because I know of one school in Matabeleland North where 10 teachers share one house and in some schools there is no water. Those are some of the things that bring about low pass rates,” he said.
Mathema said as a ministry they had to assist teachers to make the learning environment conducive for both the learner and the teacher.
“Teachers need to be helped to have proper classrooms, textbooks, proper cottages and piped water. Also, one of the important issues is we have to encourage close relationship between the parents and the school and their children that are at school. Parents have to know why they send children to school thus they should be equally involved in the learning process.
“As a ministry we are trying to train and educate our children from an early age so that they are able to manipulate the economic and social environment. We have to link the education system to the economy, as learners need to be prepared for the world,” said Mathema.
Midlands Province’s top school Cecil John Rhodes Primary School recorded 98,77 percent, Takawira Primary School 98,72, Senga Primary school 98,53, Stanley Primary 98,16, Matongo Primary 97,60, St Paul’s Mkoba Primary 96,99 and Budiriro Primary 96,91.
Nationally, schools that made it to top 10 are, Aspindale Park Primary, Divaris Makaharis Junior Primary, Dominican Convent Primary, Happy Primary, Lusitania Primary, Maranatha Primary (Harare), Pathway Private Primary, St Martins Convent and The Grange Christian School with 100 percent pass rate.
However, Minister Mathema said parents are flooding the e-map online application with boarding and private schools having the most preferences despite the anticipated fees increases. He said the sole purpose of the e-map online application platform was to cut transport costs for parents and avoid a situation where parents apply in more than three places and end up not knowing where the child was going to be accepted.