HARARE – Government has pledged to ensure that all students who sat for the 2020 Grade Seven examinations find a place in secondary school despite results obtained.
The latest development comes after a relatively poor pass rate in the 2020 Grade Seven results that were released recently.
Parliamentarians this Tuesday spoke on some of the factors that might have led to the poor pass rate, imploring the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to enhance e-learning in rural schools in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“What is being done to make sure that there are adequate resources for online learning in rural schools? What is being done to ensure that teachers are well remunerated to avoid industrial actions which affect learning.”
In response, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Honorable Cain Mathema indicated that government is working towards the improvement of ICT learning countrywide.
“My Ministry is working with the Ministry of ICT and that of Energy to ensure that there is improved ICT learning in Zimbabwe.”
The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Education, Honourable Priscilla Misihairambwi Mushonga raised concern over students who are failing to secure form one places.
“What interventions are being put in place to ensure that those who failed grade seven exams will proceed to Form 1? What will happen to students who are not being responded to?”
Minister Mathema assured the national that no child will fail to proceed to secondary school.
“Every child deserves to go to form 1. No child should be disadvantaged even if they failed their grade seven exams.”
The 2020 grade seven results were released early this month with a national pass rate of 37.11 percent, as compared to 46,9 percent in 2019.
The 9.79 percent decrease was attributed to effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. – ZBC
