Boys outperform girls at 'O' Level

Boys outperformed girls in the 2016 November Ordinary Level examinations, acting minister of Primary and Secondary Education Sithembiso Nyoni said.

Speaking at the release of the "O" Level results yesterday, Nyoni said pass rates of school candidates has been increasing since 2012, with a 2 percent increase from 2015.

"The current results, unlike the "A" level results reflect that male candidates performed better than female candidates in both the November 2015 and 2016 examinations. "The difference was significant across the learning areas," she said.

Nyoni said that school candidates who wrote five or more subjects were 155 492, with 46 587 getting grade C or better.

Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) board chairperson Levy Nyagura said pupils should be given an enabling environment in order for them to excel.

The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) vice-chancellor said of special interest was pupils with disabilities, whose pass rates were still low.

"We need to pay extra attention to pupils with disabilities as we are not doing well in that regard.

"In the coming intake, the UZ has only enrolled 148 disabled students out of 16 500 others.

"This shows that as society, we really need to create that enabling environment for these pupils," Nyagura said.

The country's highest scoring student, Kuziva Mahwire from Marist Brothers High School in Nyanga scored 17 A's while his peer from the same school Takudzwa Kaitano scored 16 A's and 1 B.

Students with 16 subjects were from Marist Nyanga, Rusununguko and Saint Ignatius, while those with 15 subjects were from Mufakose 2 High School, Gokomere, Zimuto, Njelele, Mount Saint Mary's Hwedza, Saint Faith and Gutu High schools.