Mat North schools perform dismally in Grade 7 exams

Lorraine Phiri Chronicle Reporter
MATABELELAND North primary schools performed badly in last year’s Grade Seven examinations with only seven pupils attaining four units from about 457 primary schools in the province. According to statistics presented during the 2013 Better Schools Programme Zimbabwe (BSPZ) Merit Awards held on Friday at Lupane Primary School, four girls and three boys in the province achieved four units in the 2012 Grade Seven examinations.

The best overall urban primary school in the small category with a maximum number of six to 29 candidates was Coalfields in Hwange district with a 95,83 percent pass rate while Ingagula also in the same district won the award in the medium category which are schools with a maximum number of 30 to 40 candidates by a 47,50 percent pass rate.

Megawatt Primary School also from Hwange got the award in the large category of schools with 40 and above candidates by attaining a 100 percent pass rate.

The best overall rural primary school under the small category was Main Camp in Hwange, which had an 88,24 pass rate while Madlelenyoni from Ntabazinduna with a 53,33 percent pass rate scooped the award in the medium category.

St Mary’s in Hwange district got the merit award in the large category by attaining a 63,80 percent pass rate.
The most improved urban primary school was Mabinga in Hwange, which attained 63,82 percent in last year’s examinations compared to a 23,80 percent pass rate in 2011.

The most improved rural school in the small category was Kutshwa from Lupane district, which recorded 70 percent pass rate from zero in 2011 while Makwa (Hwange) in the medium category got a 34,53 percent pass rate after attaining 8,33 percent in 2011.

Mabale Primary School (Hwange) in the large category recorded a 23.81 percent pass rate compared to zero percent in 2011.
As for secondary schools, 25 pupils attained nine As and above in the boarding schools category.

The best boarding schools with the highest number of pupils with 5 As and above in the non selecting  category was Gloag from Bubi district and Regina Mundi of Lupane while Umguza district’s John Tallach  had the highest  number of pupils in the selecting category with 49 out of 132 pupils in the school attaining 5As and above.

Hompane Secondary School from Nkayi district received the most improved day school award for attaining a 22 percent pass rate after recording zero percent in 2011 while Gloag in the boarding non selecting category recorded a 53,46 percent pass rate after recording a 42,61 percent in 2011.

St James in Umguza district won the award in the boarding selecting category for scoring a 80.36 percent pass rate up from 2011’s 62,71 percent.
The best overall performance at Ordinary Level in the day school category was won by Somvubu from Bubi district, which attained a 27,03 percent pass rate while Gloag won the award in the boarding non selecting category for recording a 58,33 percent pass rate.

John Tallach won the best overall performance award in the boarding selecting category for attaining a 93,94 percent pass rate.
In the high school awards seven pupils attained 15 points and above in the Advanced level examinations.

A school with the highest percentage of pupils with 10 points and above in the small category with a maximum of one to 10 candidates was Tsheli High School from Nkayi district with only one  pupil while Nechilibi (Hwange) in the medium category of 11 to 20 candidates had four pupils.

In the large category of schools which had 21 and above candidates St James had 26 out 52 pupils attaining 10 points and above in the A-Level examinations.

The best performing school at Advanced Level in the small category was Pashu from Binga, which recorded a 80 percent pass rate in last year’s examinations while in the medium category it was Nechilibi with a 85 percent pass rate.

In the large category St James and Inyathi (Bubi) had a 100 percent pass rate at A-Level.
Addressing the gathering Matabeleland North provincial education director Mrs Boithatelo Mnguni said the quality of passes in schools had improved.

“Results in the province have greatly improved as evidenced by the quality of passes that the schools recorded last year and the stiff competition in this year’s merit awards. As a province we also did well in the Advanced Level examinations and therefore we are saying low pass rates must not be tolerated,” said Mrs Mnguni.

She attributed the improved results to the introduction of the Performance Lag Address Programme meant to assess, evaluate and improve on the pupils’ learning environment, saying it was yielding positive results.

Hillside Teachers’ College principal Mr Elkana Dube, who was the guest of honour said educationists should complement their teaching processes with Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) so as to produce quality pupils.

“ICTs cannot be overlooked as our schools pursue excellence. This is very significant in that our pupils should be agents of development, so that the society as a whole improves in areas such as health, nutrition, environmental management and economic well being,” said Mr Dube.
The theme for this year’s awards was “Schools in Pursuit of Excellence.”