A total of 51 primary schools in Matabeleland North recorded a zero per cent pass rate in the 2021 Grade Seven public examinations.
The number was a slight improvement from 2020 when a total of 85 schools in the province recorded a zero per cent pass rate.
According to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education grading, if a pupil obtains seven units and above per subject, it is considered a failure, while six units and below is considered a pass.
The statistics showed that 20 of the schools that recorded a zero per cent pass rate were satellite while 31 were registered schools.
According to the statistics, the largest number of schools that performed dismally last year were in Bubi where 14 schools recorded zero per cent pass rates.
The second most affected district was Lupane with 13 schools obtaining zero per cent pass rate (12 registered and one satellite).
The figures showed that Binga, which has traditionally performed poorly over the years, had the least number of schools with zero per cent pass rates; only one.
In terms of overall pass rate, the province recorded 38.48 per cent based on units and 22.36 per cent based on subjects.
The pass rate was below the national figure of 41.3 per cent announced by the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) when results were released last month.
According to ZIMSEC, the total number of candidates who sat for the 2021 Grade 7 examinations was 325 573, which was a 0.6 per cent decrease from the 2020 entry of 327 559.
Director of Advocacy and Communication in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Mr Taungana Ndoro confirmed the Matabeleland North Grade seven results trend.
He said while the figures might indicate a worrying trend, the Government was encouraged by the improve in pass rate in the province and expected even better performance as issues that had been affecting schooling in the province are addressed.
The main challenge, according to experts, has been the human capital challenge. Most schools have a shortage of teachers as they shun them due to poor infrastructure.
At some schools, the few teachers are forced to teach many grades due to staff shortage.
More: Sunday News