Coltart admits O’ Level results ‘crisis’

New Zimbabwe

5 February 2013

EDUCATION Minister David Coltart on Tuesday blamed the disappointing November 2012 Ordinary Level examination results on the “extreme crisis in education experienced between approximately 2005 and 2009”.

Results released on Monday showed 81,6 percent of the 172,698 who sat for the examinations failed to pass at least five subjects with grade C or better.

Despite increased investment in education and a massive drive financed by UNICEF to supply textbooks to schools, the 2012 pass rate was down from 19,5 percent in 2011.

In 2010, the pass rate was 16,5 percent when 229,522 pupils sat examinations, down from 19,33 percent in 2009 when just 87,201 were examined.

Faced with the shocking numbers, Coltart admitted the only positive was that more and more children were sitting examinations after a decade-long economic crisis devastated the education sector and led to massive drop-outs and teacher flight.

Curiously, Coltart took partial CREDIT for the low pass rate, stating: “The decline in the pass rate is an indication that ZIMSEC have followed my instruction that standards are to be maintained so that we have an accurate idea of the health of our education system.”

“Sadly there is a batch of children going through the system whose education suffered during those years when thousands of teachers left the service and many teaching days were lost, and that is reflected in these results,” Coltart said.

“Another reason for the decline may be the increase in numbers of children writing which can also result in a decline in the pass rate.”

The minister is demanding a major shake-up of the curriculum to ensure that pupils who are unsuccessful academically have a fall-back.

“Our O’ Levels are primarily academically orientated whereas many children are more practically orientated. Inevitably, this academic orientation results in many children failing whose talents are not academic,” the minister said in a statement.

“This was a flaw recognised by the Nziramazanga Commission in 1999 which we are now seeking to address through the programme of comprehensive review and reform of our curriculum which is now under way.”

In a sobering verdict, Coltart said: “Whatever the case, the results are a reminder that whilst there is still a lot of good in our education system there is still much work to be done before we can say that we have restored excellence.

“The Zimbabwean education sector remains in crisis and it is going to take a sustained non partisan effort to regain its status as the best in Africa.”