June 9th 2009
The Herald
By Innocent Ruwende
MOST schools in Harare and Chitungwiza have decided not to send home Ordinary Level failures they had enrolled for Advanced Level classes before their results were released saying they would want them to supplement the failed O-Level subjects.
This sets the schools on a collision course with the Government, which had ordered that failing students be discharged from A-Level classes.
A snap survey carried out by The Herald yesterday showed that most schools felt parents or guardians of such pupils should determine their future while Government wants them to stop attending classes.
A senior teacher at Mount Pleasant High School in Harare said the O-Level failures would continue with their classes if their parents allowed them to while they supplemented the O-Level subjects.
“The fate of these pupils will not be determined by us, but by themselves and their parents. We cannot stand in their way if they want to continue with their classes, but we will make sure they supplement so that they will have five Ordinary Levels,” she said.
Prince Edward School headmaster Mr Kevin Atkinson yesterday said although he was still to go through all the results, he would engage the parents of the affected pupils.
“I have not finished assessing the results. Some students sat for both Cambridge and Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council examinations, so we will have to compile the statistics to gauge the pass rate.
“We admitted the pupils on merit and we think only a few will be affected. But for the few who will fail we will have to sit down with their parents to map the way forward,” he said.
A senior official at Seke 1 High School echoed similar sentiments and said although they had not finished compiling the statistics of affected pupils, they hoped to engage their parents in the event some failed.
Zengeza High 1 School headmaster Mr Jephias Runesu was optimistic that a few pupils would be affected by below par performance at O-Level.
“We don’t think we will have a problem because we admitted these pupils on merit. We had at least seven teachers on a selection panel who determined the pupils we accepted.
“We will, however, be able to see by the end of the week the number of pupils affected. But I don’t think we will come to a situation where we will send pupils away, we almost foresaw the problem in advance,” he said.
Mr Runesu said if some pupils failed they, would sit down with parents to determine their children’s future, adding that the best way forward would be for them to supplement their O-Level subjects while they attend A-Level classes.
Teachers at Allan Wilson, Queen Elizabeth and Girls High schools said it would be unfair to send children away after their parents paid school fees and bought uniforms.
Last month Education, Sport, Art and Culture Minister David Coltart said O–Level pupils who failed their exams will be ejected from classes and their parents will not be refunded the fees they paid. Meanwhile, students began collecting their results yesterday after going through various clearing processes.