The Sunday News
THE Zimbabwe Junior Certificate (ZJC) examinations that were written in Matabeleland North Province produced “very poor” results, a situation that will see the province introducing extra lessons.
Although ZJC was suspended in 2000 when hyperinflation pushed its running to unaffordable levels, Matabeleland North has re-introduced the exams in order to improve the O-Level pass rate. The exams are set and marked in the province.
Matabeleland North Provincial Education Director Mrs Boithatelo Mnguni said the performance was not up to standard.
“The results were bad, pupils were getting as low as six percent in some subjects. We have to ensure that the situation is corrected as soon as possible,” she said.
Mrs Mnguni said the exercise was very costly as they examined five subjects including practicals which the pupils failed dismally.
She further said the examinations have given them a picture of what goes on in the lower forms at most schools.
“We now have a picture of the situation in lower forms. We are, however, not too sure of the reasons as to why these pupils performed poorly. It could be that there is poor coverage of the syllabus at that stage or the teachers are relaxed,” said Mrs Mguni. She said as a province they have decided to go the extra lessons way so that the pupils catch up.
She said they will try by all means to give all forms of assistance to pupils so that by the time they sit for their Ordinary Levels they perform better.
Mrs Mnguni said the abolishment of the ZJC examinations has caused some of the challenges as the pupils are not taught well enough as they will not be sitting for any final examinations in their first years of secondary school.
She said before they concentrate on the examination classes they will put a lot of effort on the junior forms so that the situation improves.
She said she will be able to offer a detailed performance report once the analysis was completed.
“As a province we have taken several measures to prepare pupils for their final examinations. We are going to have ZJC examinations where pupils will write Mathematics, English, Ndebele, Tonga, Geography, History and Integrated Science,” she was quoted saying in the media recently.
She said the purpose of these examinations was not to screen pupils to proceed to Form Three but to identify gaps and ensure that teachers work on those gaps in the following two years in preparation for examinations.
MatabelelandNorth Province has been producing poor results over the years.
The Government in 2013 once mulled the idea of re-introducing ZJC in a bid to improve the national pass rate.
The provincial director also added that the ministry had capacitated most teachers through workshops which were meant to help them prepare pupils for their final examinations.
Mrs Mnguni said the ground had been prepared for school heads to produce good results hence the ball was in their court.
