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NEARLY a quarter of A-Level schools from Manicaland were among the top performing 100 in the 2014 exams — whose results were released this week — with St Faith’s High and Nyanga High emerging the best and second best performers nationally. The November 2014 examinations were written by 30 614 school candidates of whom 25 291 obtained a Grade E or better in two or more subjects — which puts the pass rate at 82,61 percent.
About 7 324 private candidates sat for the same exams with 4 217 obtaining a Grade E or better in two or more subjects, which also translates into a percentage pass rate of 57,58 percent. Generally the 2014 pass rate was 82,61 percent, a slight improvement from the 81,58 percent scored in 2013.
Of great concern was the 8 430 candidates who failed to achieve a pass in the 2014 exams — raising strong questions at how they were pushed through and how such a huge number could not master a single point, assuming they had done well at Ordinary Level.
Educationists who spoke to The Manica Post argued that this could have been a result of poor career guidance at schools or private colleges — which forced these candidates into A Level — resultantly wasting their precious two years yet they could have utilised some space elsewhere.
Among the best performers nationally and locally were often poorly-resourced day high schools.
A total of 20 schools scored 100 percent pass rates, while 80 other schools were packed between 98,72 and 93,55 percent — which implies that they will supply the bulk of students into local universities and colleges.
Zimsec director Mr Esau Nhandara said most students performed brilliantly in other subjects except Geography, which had a miserable pass rate of 36,01 percent.
“This failure rate in Geography could be that a good number of candidates are candidates who may not have done Geography at O-Level or could have achieved a low pass rate at O-Level and went on to attempt Geography at A-Level.
“This could be a major factor that may have resulted in a low pass rate,” said Mr Nhandara.
“It was, however, pleasing to note that there was a 100 percent pass rate in Textiles & Design (88 candidates). This could have been made possible by the fewer number of candidates for this subject.
“Generally, the performance of November 2014 candidates was commendable in most subjects.
“An important point to take note of is that grading standards for each subject did not change in any way. The standards have been benchmarked to previous ones and maintained in all subjects,” said Mr Nhandara.
St Faith’s High had 107 students who sat for the exams and passed.
Marist Brothers had 65 students and had a 100 percent pass rate.
St Faith’s had 26 students with at least 15 points — one had five As (25 points) and six have four As (20) points.
Among the schools which attained 100 percent pass rates were St Anthony’s High School (third), Sandringham Secondary School (fourth); St Ignatius College (fifth), Hebron High School (sixth), Shungu High School (seventh), Zaka High School (eighth), Chinorumba Secondary School (ninth), Langham Secondary School (10th) and St David’s Bonda Secondary School (11th).
St David Bonda was the third best A-Level School in Manicaland.
Roosevelt Girls’ High School was 11th, Chatikobo High School 12th, Mutare Girls’ High School 13th.
Mutare Girls’ High has shocked all and sundry as it emerged from nowhere, at least for the past five years, to land the 13th best slot nationally and fourth in Manicaland. This makes it the most improved school in the province.
About 53 candidates from the school sat for the November exams, and all passed.
The school had lost all its glitter, playing second fiddle to day schools in Mutare.
Tugwane Secondary School was 14th, while Tongwe Govt Rural Secondary was 15th and followed by Mutimwi High School, Zezani Secondary School, Anderson Secondary School, Mhari High School and Gutu High School, respectively.
Marange High was fifth in the province with 98,33 percent pass rate, followed by Monte Cassino Secondary School, which had a pass rate of 98,28 percent.
Hartzell High School was seventh with 97.20 percent pass rate, followed by Mt Selinda High with 97, 62 percent.
St Augustine’s Penhalonga was ninth in Manicaland with 97,56 percent followed by St Dominic’s High School at number 10 with 97,44 percent.
St Joseph’s Secondary School was the 11th best in Manicaland with 97, 4 percent pass rate.
Kriste Mambo Secondary School, though at the 12th, was at it again for the second consecutive year amid revelations that it had its Economics results withheld.
Last year the school had its Physics and Chemistry results withheld on suspicions of exam cheating.
Emmanuel Secondary, Ratelshoek Secondary School, Nyazura Adventist High, Nyashanu High, Gomorefu Secondary School, Gideon Mhlanga Secondary School, Rimbi High School, Gombakomba Secondary School and Makumbe High School complete the list of the top 21 performers in Manicaland.
The results also hinted that a number of boarding schools were surpassed by day schools and put to the fore the need to give special attention to them during supervision to ensure that there is a match between resources at their disposal and the final results.
These day schools’ stroll on the academic bastion podium exposed other under-performing but well-resourced boarding schools such as Mavhudzi High and St Benedict’s High School for letting the nation, students and parents down.
Mavhudzi High is one example of a well-resourced Government institution which had gone to the dogs. Over the years the school has been hogging the limelight for wrong reasons — amid a myriad of allegations of corruption, disunity and teacher protests and abuse and looting of school assets — all coming at the expense of academic delivery.
The ministry must come up with strategies to improve the quality of education and good governance at Government schools like Mavhudzi High.
Since its formation at independence, Mavhudzi was one of the very few schools capacitated to offer quality education, but over the past decade the school has failed to meet or exceed the expectations of our growing population.
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