Zimbabwe O Level Pass Rate

[Theodora Andy]

WhenZimbabwe gained its independence from colonial rule in April 1980, the majority of her people lacked the opportunities and facilities for quality secondary schooling, most only finishing several years of primary schooling. Over the first 25 years of independence, Zimbabwe's population of over 13 million has witnessed incredible strides in school expansion, teacher training, and resource improvement. As a result, Zimbabwe continues to boast the highest literacy rate in sub-saharan Africa and sends the fourth largest number of students from Africa to the United States. There remain, however, significant discrepancies between educational opportunities for Zimbabwe's rural majority and for those who live in the main urban centers of Harare, Chitungwiza, Bulawayo Mutare and Gweru. The apartheid legacy has also left its mark on Zimbabwe's education system with formerly-white, private "Group A" schools far superior in terms of resources and trained teachers when compared to their mission and government-sponsored counterparts. Zimbabwe's education system consists of 7 years of primary and 6 years of secondary schooling before students can enter university in country or abroad. The academic year in Zimbabwe runs from January to December , with three month terms, broken up by one month holidays, with a total of 40 weeks of school per year. National examinations are written during the third term in November, with "O" level and "A" level subjects also offered in June. Teachers and nurses train for three years at nursing and teacher training colleges after their secondary schooling, with the more qualified having subsequently earning university degrees. Currently, there are seven public universities as well as four church-related universities in Zimbabwe that are fully internationally accredited. Zimbabwean culture places a high premium on education.

Most Zimbabwean children begin Grade 1 during the year in which they turn six, with a smaller number beginning either during their fifth or seventh year. In urban areas the medium of instruction is purely English, with Shona or Ndebele taught as a subject; in rural schools students begin learning in their mother tongue, but transition to all reading and writing in English by Grade 3. Curriculum is nationalized with prescribed textbooks all in English. The seven years of primary schooling culminate in four nationally-set Grade 7 examinations in Mathematics, English, Shona or Ndebele and Content, which is a combination of sciences and social sciences.

Students entering Form I, usually aged 12-13, compete for places in the private and mission day and boarding schools based on their Grade 7 examination results, as well as school-based interviews and placement tests. Government schools take students by zone and then allot the rest of the places to those with the best qualifications. Secondary School consists of three levels: ZJC (Zimbabwe Junior Certificate) which includes Forms I and II; "O" level which includes Forms III and IV; and "A" level which includes Forms V and VI. The ZJC Core Curriculum (equivalent to Grades 8-9) consists of 8 subjects: English, Shona or Ndebele, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Bible Knowledge, and a Practical Subject (ie Food and Nutrition, Fashion and Fabrics, Woodwork, Agriculture, Metalwork, Technical Drawing, etc.) Zimbabwe phased out the ZJC examinations in 2001, but has maintained the same curricular framework for general Form 1 and 2 education and plan to renew this set of examinations at the end of Form 2 education in 2008.

Based on their Form 1 and 2 reports, students are assigned to courses and tracked classes for their "O" level studies for Forms III and IV (equivalent to Grades 10-11). In government schools in the high-density urban townships and in the rural areas, students are restricted in their options and usually are only afforded the opportunity to take 8 or 9 subjects. Elite private schools often allow and encourage students to take up to 12 or 13 subjects for "O" level exams. Since the early 1990's and until April 2002, GCE "O" level examinations were set and marked in Zimbabwe by the Zimbabwe Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) in conjunction with the University of Cambridge International Examination GCE system. Marks from highest to lowest are A, B, C, D, E, U with A, B, and C as passing marks. With the fast-tracked localization of examinations, many independent school students have been writing both local and British IGCSE exams. In 2002, Zimbabwe issued a directive to try to ban private schools from offering any foreign examinations, the most common of these being the British IGSCE, AS and A level. With staunch resistance to this government directive, Cambridge pulled out of its collaborative role in Zimbabwe's examination system but does offer its own exams in the country to those schools whose pupils can afford to pay their examination fees in foreign currency. 2002 O and A level exams were thus the first to be issued purely under ZIMSEC administration without University of Cambridge collaboration However, a group of activist parents lobbied the Zimbabwean government to revoke the ban on foreign exams, and they have continued to be offered without incident since 2002.

The country has had a bloated executive meant as means to do tribal balancing and are fated for leaders to retain power. In the recent past, newly resettled farmers have received more than US$10 billion in agricultural farm subsidies yet grants to education have been whittled down. This may be co-related to the administration interests ins securing its powerbase among peasant farmers and the rural areas.

The analysis further revealed that a significant 88 schools nationally, but in general in rural communities in Zimbabwe, recorded a zero- pass rate. A zero-pass rate is when no pupil sitting in an examination has a more than 50% mark in any of the five subjects they are tested in.

United Nations Children and Education Fund (UNICEF) defines literacy as the ability to read and write. Zimbabwe, however, is on the verge of losing this status according to research by Lupane State University academic Christopher Ndlovu1 who said many of the primary school graduates cannot read and write.

This same principle is further enshrined as a right in Chapter 4, Part 2 of the Constitution under the title Fundamental Human Rights and Freedoms. Section 75(1)(a) reads, Every citizen and permanent resident of Zimbabwe has a right to basic State-funded education, including adult basic education.

The government has not adequately funded education in successive budgets since the November 2017 military coup that ousted the late President Robert Mugabe. In many instances, the last three national budgets barely covered the education sector wages and nothing left for capital expenditure like grants to buy books, build classroom blocks and electrification and internet connectivity of schools.

The government has over the years been battling strikes by teachers and other civil servants who are demanding better working condition and remuneration that is equal to a living wage. Many civil servants are living in penury.

The education system was further derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic where all schools missed an incredible 6 months of learning. When the schools finally opened for examination classes, teachers pleaded incapacitation a euphemism for industrial action.

It is also conceivable that the new curricula made the situation worse by making teachers do more work such as scheming and teaching the newly added subjects but remained on the same salary. Many of the schools do not have textbooks for the new subjects, forcing teachers to make copious notes to give to their pupils.

When everything is put in its proper context, the low pass rates are a ticking timebomb for Zimbabwe. It only points to the majority of students who progressed to secondary schools in 2021 also recorded a low pass rate when they write their General Certificate in Education Ordinary Level in 2024.

The average national Ordinary Level pass rate has been hovering between 22% and 25% for the past decade, meaning a massive 75% of the students fail to proceed to Advanced Level or gain entrance into polytechnics. In other words, the children are becoming cannon fodder for abusive capital or they emigrate (usually illegally) to South Africa where the salaries are better for menial jobs.

Immigration is not limited to low-level workers but the country has also suffered a brain drain in areas such as engineering, accountants, health and education as many leave in search of the proverbial greener pastures. Zimbabwe is thus becoming a producer of skilled labour for richer nations and remains underdeveloped except for a measly US$1 billion diaspora remittances.

Inflationary pressures remain high in 2024 as local currency depreciation intensifies. In February 2024, annual inflation increased for the fourth consecutive month, reflecting the sharp depreciation of the local currency at both the official and parallel foreign exchange markets. Annual inflation increased from 26.5% in December 2023 to 47.6% in February 2024. The official exchange rate depreciated by 788% in 2023, with the parallel market premium estimated at 30% as of February 2024.

Real GDP growth is projected to slow further to 3.3% in 2024, partly reflecting the impact of structural bottlenecks, macroeconomic instability (high inflation and severe exchange rate volatility), an El Nio-related drought, and lower commodity prices. El-Nino-induced drought will affect most rain-fed crops and may intensify electricity supply shortages. Nevertheless, continued increases in remittances will help to stimulate growth in services (wholesale and retail trade) and construction. Inflationary pressures will intensify in 2024, given drought conditions and domestic tax increases. The fiscal deficit will increase in 2024, driven by high-interest payments on external debt, drought mitigation-related spending, wage pressures, and the reversal of several budget revenue measures. The fiscal deficit is projected to reach 2.5% of GDP in 2024 before slowing to under 2% in the medium term. The current account surplus is expected to shrink further, reflecting increased imports in the face of drought conditions and lower commodity prices.

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