By Munacho Gwamanda- The government has said it was worried about the decline in the Ordinary level pass rate.
The Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) announced a marginal improvement in the 2024 O-Level results, but the pass rate of 33.19% remains well below the 50% benchmark.
ZIMSEC board chairperson, Professor Paul Mapfumo, acknowledged the concerning trend while releasing the 2024 results last week.
A record 291,341 candidates sat for the exams, marking a 7.85% increase compared to 2023.
Of these, 199,258 candidates attempted five or more subjects, but only 66,130 attained the required five passes at Grade C or better.
“While this year’s results show some improvement, with school candidates achieving a 33.70% pass rate compared to 30.19% in 2023, the reality remains that two-thirds of candidates are failing to meet the benchmark,” said Prof. Mapfumo. “This calls for urgent interventions at all levels of the education system.”
The incremental progress extends to private candidates, whose pass rate increased from 21.85% in 2023 to 29.60% in 2024.
Notably, candidates with special needs recorded significant gains, with their pass rate climbing from 25.79% to 36.36%.
Female candidates slightly outperformed their male counterparts, with pass rates of 33.54% and 32.65%, respectively.
This decline in educational outcomes comes against the backdrop of significant changes in Zimbabwe’s education system.
The government recently phased out the Continuous Assessment Learning Activities (CALAs), a controversial component of the competency-based curriculum introduced in 2017.
CALAs were designed to evaluate students’ practical and theoretical competencies but faced criticism for being poorly implemented, burdening students, teachers, and parents.
In its place, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has pledged to refine the curriculum to better align with Zimbabwe’s historical legacy of educational excellence, which once positioned the country as a leader in Africa.
However, the transition has exposed gaps in teaching resources, infrastructure, and teacher training, particularly in rural schools.
Professor Mapfumo emphasized the need for equitable access to quality education, highlighting disparities that disproportionately affect rural and disadvantaged communities.
“We need to ensure that every child is given an equal opportunity to succeed,” he said.