News / Regional
Poverty contributes to poor pass rate in Matabeleland
02 Feb 2016 at 06:55hrs | Views
Poverty in Matabeleland and Midlands has been blamed for continuous low pass rates by students.
Reacting to Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec)' schools performance report released last week, MDC-T Bulawayo provincial deputy spokesperson, Felix Magalela Sibanda said students in southern parts of Zimbabwe performed poorly not because they were dull, but due to multiple economic factors affecting the provinces.
Zimsec analysis for the 2015 A Level results show that southern provinces anchored the performance table.
Matabeleland North has 83,6% pass rate for girls and 76,5% for boys.
Bulawayo province was the ninth with 86,5% pass rate for girls and 80,7% for boys.
Matabeleland South was eighth with 88,4% for girls and 83,1% pass rates for boys.
Midlands was rated seventh with 87,7% girls passing against 83,1% boys.
Zimsec said this was in contrast to Harare, which recorded 96,8% pass rate for girls and 79,7% for boys, followed by Mashonaland East which came second with 94,2% for girls and 90,4% for boys and Masvingo was third with 93,1% for girls and 90,4% for boys.
Mashonaland Central was rated fourth with 92,7% pass rate for girls and 87,1% for boys. Manicaland was the fifth with 91% for girls and 87,6% for boys and Mashonaland West was placed sixth with 89,4% for girls and 83,4% for boys.
"The economy of each region has an impact of how children perform in their public examinations," Sibanda said.
"Who does not know that most Bulawayo firms have either closed or relocated to the capital city, Harare? Harare is booming economically, while Bulawayo, Gweru and other provinces in Matabeleland are economically dead. In such circumstances, how can students perform adequately as in the rich regions, where parents have plenty to give to their children or schools?"
"Who does not know that the best teachers left the schools between 1980s and 2012, fearing political violence?" Sibanda asked.
"Most schools in these provinces are shacks and some grades 1 to 3 are taught in foreign languages instead of their mother languages."
Reacting to Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec)' schools performance report released last week, MDC-T Bulawayo provincial deputy spokesperson, Felix Magalela Sibanda said students in southern parts of Zimbabwe performed poorly not because they were dull, but due to multiple economic factors affecting the provinces.
Zimsec analysis for the 2015 A Level results show that southern provinces anchored the performance table.
Matabeleland North has 83,6% pass rate for girls and 76,5% for boys.
Bulawayo province was the ninth with 86,5% pass rate for girls and 80,7% for boys.
Matabeleland South was eighth with 88,4% for girls and 83,1% pass rates for boys.
Zimsec said this was in contrast to Harare, which recorded 96,8% pass rate for girls and 79,7% for boys, followed by Mashonaland East which came second with 94,2% for girls and 90,4% for boys and Masvingo was third with 93,1% for girls and 90,4% for boys.
Mashonaland Central was rated fourth with 92,7% pass rate for girls and 87,1% for boys. Manicaland was the fifth with 91% for girls and 87,6% for boys and Mashonaland West was placed sixth with 89,4% for girls and 83,4% for boys.
"The economy of each region has an impact of how children perform in their public examinations," Sibanda said.
"Who does not know that most Bulawayo firms have either closed or relocated to the capital city, Harare? Harare is booming economically, while Bulawayo, Gweru and other provinces in Matabeleland are economically dead. In such circumstances, how can students perform adequately as in the rich regions, where parents have plenty to give to their children or schools?"
"Who does not know that the best teachers left the schools between 1980s and 2012, fearing political violence?" Sibanda asked.
"Most schools in these provinces are shacks and some grades 1 to 3 are taught in foreign languages instead of their mother languages."
Source - Southern Eye
