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Zimbabwe dismisses '1-in-6' education claim
2 hrs ago |
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The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has dismissed as false and misleading a recent international report claiming that only one in six Zimbabwean children completes primary school with basic reading and mathematics skills.
In a statement released today, the ministry said national data collected over the past decade shows that nearly half of Zimbabwean children successfully complete primary school having passed public examinations, a far cry from the "alarming" statistic published in the Spotlight Report on Foundational Learning in Africa released in October 2025.
According to the ministry, evidence from the Zimbabwe Early Learning Assessment (ZELA) between 2015 and 2024 demonstrates steady improvements in literacy and numeracy across the board. The data shows that foundational skills are firmly in place for the majority of learners by Grade 2, reflecting measurable progress under the Second Republic's education reforms.
Ministry spokesperson Mr Taungana Ndoro said the report's claims were "statistically indefensible" and painted an inaccurate picture of the state of education in the country.
"The claim that only 16.7 percent of our children are proficient is grossly misleading and not supported by empirical data," said Mr Ndoro. "Our own annual assessments reveal a very different story - one of resilience, growth, and real progress."
He said the 2024 ZELA results show that 72.45 percent of Grade 2 learners were proficient in mathematics, while 74.94 percent achieved grade-level proficiency in English.
"These early gains are critical because they form the bedrock of all future learning," Mr Ndoro said. "To suggest that this foundation disappears by Grade 7 ignores the systemic investments made by Government under the leadership of His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa to strengthen our education system."
The ministry maintained that Zimbabwe's education sector continues to record solid progress in both access and quality, anchored by the Government's commitment to inclusive and equitable learning opportunities for all children.
In a statement released today, the ministry said national data collected over the past decade shows that nearly half of Zimbabwean children successfully complete primary school having passed public examinations, a far cry from the "alarming" statistic published in the Spotlight Report on Foundational Learning in Africa released in October 2025.
According to the ministry, evidence from the Zimbabwe Early Learning Assessment (ZELA) between 2015 and 2024 demonstrates steady improvements in literacy and numeracy across the board. The data shows that foundational skills are firmly in place for the majority of learners by Grade 2, reflecting measurable progress under the Second Republic's education reforms.
Ministry spokesperson Mr Taungana Ndoro said the report's claims were "statistically indefensible" and painted an inaccurate picture of the state of education in the country.
"The claim that only 16.7 percent of our children are proficient is grossly misleading and not supported by empirical data," said Mr Ndoro. "Our own annual assessments reveal a very different story - one of resilience, growth, and real progress."
He said the 2024 ZELA results show that 72.45 percent of Grade 2 learners were proficient in mathematics, while 74.94 percent achieved grade-level proficiency in English.
"These early gains are critical because they form the bedrock of all future learning," Mr Ndoro said. "To suggest that this foundation disappears by Grade 7 ignores the systemic investments made by Government under the leadership of His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa to strengthen our education system."
The ministry maintained that Zimbabwe's education sector continues to record solid progress in both access and quality, anchored by the Government's commitment to inclusive and equitable learning opportunities for all children.
Source - Manica Post
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