Girls Outperform Boys In ZIMSEC 2023 O' Level Examinations
Female candidates outperformed their male counterparts in the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) November 2023 Ordinary Level examinations.
ZIMSEC board chairperson, Professor Eddie Mwenje released the results this Monday at a media briefing in Harare.
The percentage pass rate for female candidates was 30.1 while that of males was 29.06. These percentage pass rates increased by 5.03 and 3.9 respectively in favour of female candidates. ZIMSEC said:
A total of 270 129 candidates sat for the November 2023 examinations as compared to 278 760 candidates who sat for the same examinations in 2022. The candidature decreased by 8 631, translating to a percentage decrease of 3.1.
In 2023, a total of 185 021 wrote 5 or more subjects and 54 420 passed 5 or more subjects with a grade C or better giving an overall percentage pass rate of 29.41.
The November 2023 results show that the percentage pass rate for female candidates was at 30.1 while that of males was at 29.06.
These percentage pass rates increased by 5.03 and 3.9 respectively in favour of the girl child. The statistics show that the 2023 the overall pass rate increased by 4.35% from that of 2022.
It is, however, important to note that ZIMSEC said the overall pass rate for 2023 increased by 4.35% from that of 2022.
The assertion is erroneous because the 2022 O’ Level pass rate was 28.96 per cent. This means that the 2023 overall pass rate, which ZIMSEC has said was 29.41%, increased by a paltry 0.45% and not the 4.35% announced by the examinations management body.
Some education commentators say the reason why girls continue to outperform boys is that girls have terrific handwriting and it becomes far easier to evaluate an answer sheet with great presentation.
The other reason given is that girls are better disciplined than boys, generally. Since studying for public examinations requires discipline, girls are more likely to perform better than boys.
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