admin
The Herald, 17 March 1986
ONLY about 19 000 of the 94 969 pupils in formal schools who took the Associated Examinations Board or the Cambridge School Certificate Syndicate O level exams actually passed. The Herald has learned from reliable sources.
A pupil who does well in at least five subjects is regarded as having passed.
That means just under 20 percent of Zimbabwe’s O level examinees passed in 1985.
This compares with 22 950 students out of 67 962 who passed in three or more subjects in the 1984 O level exams.
The Prime Minister, Cde Mugabe, later described the 1984 pass rate as appalling.
Of the 22 950 who passed notably in 1984 only 12 881 had five or more credits, 4 548 had four credits and 5 521 had three credits.
Similar breakdowns are not yet available for the 1985 results.
Although the results have been available for some time the Ministry of Education has not officially released them.
Efforts by The Herald on Friday to get comment from senior ministry officials were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile The Herald has been reliably informed that it cost the country 16,5 million in foreign currency to pay for the students to take the 1985 level exams.
It was disclosed over the weekend that until examinations are localised it will cost the country $35 million annually to have tests set, and marked externally.
The localisation exercise is expected to be completed by 1990. For each pupil who takes the AEB or CSCS O level exam it costs $16,50 as an entry fee, plus $13 per subject.
Online Reporter