Bulawayo School Records Zero Percent Pass Rate In Two Consecutive Years
One primary school in Bulawayo — Aisleby — recorded a zero per cent pass rate in the 2021 Grade 7 Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) examinations.
According to the latest council report, the overall pass rate of the 30 Bulawayo City Council-owned primary schools was 55.92 per cent.
Mawaba in Lobengula West was the best performing school with a pass rate of 79.5 per cent, followed by JW Mthimkulu in Magwegwe West with a pass rate of 76.5 per cent.
4 807 learners set for the exams with 2 688 passing the six subjects with a five or better. Part of the report reads:
The results were the first Junior Examination in Primary Schools, based on the Competence-Based Curriculum which has additional learning areas- Agriculture, Information Technology, Science, Technology, Social Sciences and Physical Education- being examined for the first time.
The 2021 pass rate was 55,92 per cent based on six subjects passed as per the City of Bulawayo standards, three schools performed above 70 per cent, nine schools performed between 60 per cent and 69 per cent, nine schools performed between 50 per cent and 59 per cent, five schools performed between 40 per cent and 49 per cent, one school performed between 30 per cent and 39 per cent and two schools performed below 10 per cent.
The top three council schools in the 2021 Grade 7 examinations were, Mawaba 79.5 per cent, JW Mthimkhulu; 76.52 per cent and Nketa 72.5 per cent.
According to the report, Malindela which was in the first position in 2020 fell by 18.36 per cent and dropped to position seventh in 2021. Reads the report:
Ntshamathe which was in the second position also fell heavily in 2021 from 75.97 per cent to 60.68 per cent dropping by 15.29 per cent, JW Mthimkhulu which was in third place in 2020 rose to position two gaining 5.33 per cent to 76.52 per cent.
Mganwini was also among the notable schools that fell as it dropped by 13.42 per cent from 60.12 per cent to 46.70 per cent.
Aisleby maintained the bottom place and had a zero per cent pass rate similar to 2020.
At second position from the bottom was St Peters which lost 11 per cent from 13.56 per cent to 2.56 per cent.
Ingubo at position three from the bottom continued to disappoint losing 3.26 per cent from 38.74 per cent to 35.48 per cent.
Josiah Chinamano was the most improved school gaining 26.04 per cent from 32.52 per cent to 58.56 per cent with Senzangakhona having three learners who scored six units each.
… Overall, 22 schools out of 30 schools had a pass rate above 50 per cent and eight compared to 10 in 2020 performed below 50 per cent.
The local authority noted that the long period of schools closure from the first term to the second/third term in 2021 reduced teacher-learner contact time in the year 2021.
This meant that there was no adequate coverage of syllabi content and yet the examinations questions were derived from the entire syllabi, said the Council.
