Unpacking June 2015 exam statistics

23 Aug, 2015 - 00:08 0 Views
Unpacking June 2015 exam statistics Students study towards an examination - Picture by Kudakwashe Hunda

The Sunday Mail

A significant decline in candidates was the most prominent feature in this year’s June Ordinary and Advanced Level exam sittings.

Students study towards  an examination - Picture by Kudakwashe Hunda

Students study towards an examination – Picture by Kudakwashe Hunda

While the results show a much improved pass rate at both levels, it is the decline in candidature which was most notable. Statistics released by Zimsec last week show that O and A-Level entries declined by 20 and 14 percent, respectively.

In all, 81 083 candidates registered for a varying number of O-Level subjects, compared to 101 471 last year – a decrease of 20 338. For A-Level, 4 086 candidates sat for examinations compared to 4 767 in June 2014. The candidature decreased by 681.

Mr Maxwell Rafomoyo, the director of the Education Coalition of Zimbabwe, said: “The June exam candidature is very tricky to analyse. There are a number of issues which contribute to decline in candidates and one simple fact is that each group has its own characteristics.

“But also the economic hardships and high fees are some of the factors which can cause low candidature. How students performed in the previous November examinations also affect the number of candidates who will sit for exams the next June.

“In this case, last year’s November pass rate was very low and one would expect to have a huge number of candidates resitting these exams in June, but that was not the case. So candidature is not affected by just one factor.”

Progressive Teachers Union president Dr Takavafira Zhou said parents and guardians were finding it hard to raise examination fees as they are economically constrained at a time fees were exorbitant.

“We have not really done thorough analysis of the results but what we have realised is that there was a general improvement in pass rate,” he said. “However the decline in candidates shows that parents are finding it more and more difficult to raise examination fees for their children, it just shows you how tight the economy is.”

A lecturer in the Department of Technical Education at the University of Zimbabwe, Dr Peter Kwaira, opined that because of the depressed economic environment, students and parents were finding it difficult to meet the costs of extra tuition which is required for one to sit for the June exams, with many opting to have one sitting in November.

Some students use the June exams to resit failed past exams, while others use them as “warm-up” for the November ones.

The low entry of number of subjects written by each student also reinforces claims that the decline of candidates is a result of liquidity challenges.

For O-Levels, 41 786 candidates registered to sit for only one subject while 2 760 registered to write 5 or more; 2 191 registered for only one subject at A-Level while only 546 registered for 3 or more.

The mid-year exams have, however, traditionally recorded a small number of candidates as compared to November examinations since they service supplementing candidates the most.

Despite the decline, there were a few positives as the pass rate improved remarkably. There are two distinctive categories of candidates, school candidates and private candidates. And it is the latter who continue to find it difficult. Private candidates are those who are not registered in the formal school education system, but sit for examinations while school candidates attend classes until the sitting of the examinations.

The O-Level pass rate for school candidates increased by 16 percent as 278 out 614 candidates who sat for five or more subjects passed with grade C or better in at least five subjects. Private candidates were, however, disappointing as only 183 out 2 146 candidates who sat for five or more subjects only passed. Their pass rate was only eight percent.

For A-Level, 492 out of 568 school candidates who sat for two or more subjects and obtained grade E in two or more subjects (86,62 percent) passed while 833 out of 1 327 private candidates passed with grade E in two or more subjects (62,77 percent).

The number of candidates who sat for five or more subjects was 2 760, which is 3,4 percent of the total candidature of 81 083. The remainder, 78 323 (96,6 percent) sat for four or fewer subjects. The figures show that the majority of candidates, both private and school, sat for one subject.

According to a Press statement issued by Zimsec, school candidates performed better than the private candidates, as proved by the statistics.

The pass rate trend has, therefore, two outstanding features: (i) one that school candidates perform better than private candidates, and (ii) that A-Level candidates appear to perform better than their Ordinary Level counterparts.

Dr Zhou blamed the low O-Level pass rate on unpreparedness and lack of focus by the candidates.

“Despite the pass rate increase, we still emphasise that we need a system that educates children to have knowledge not for students to pass an exam.

“As for O-Level students the pass rate is still very bad because students are not really prepared. This is when you realise the importance of the ZJC exam, because students would have been oriented into their areas of abilities. So when a student is studying something which he or she is good at, then there are lesser chances of failing.

“You realise that A-Level students tend to perform better than those at O-Level because they are now specialising in their strengths.”

Dr Kwaira said it was not surprising that there is not much improvement on the O-Level pass rate since most candidates are rushing to sit for them when they are not thoroughly prepared.

“The exams were originally meant for students who would have failed in the previous exams and want to supplement,” he said. “However that trend has changed now because some students want to write exams early because they do not want to wait for November so they fail because some of them are less prepared.”

“We have candidates going through a variety of pressure for them to write mid-year rather than in November.”

Dr Kwaira said the failure by O-Level students is one case study of why calls to abolish Grade 7 and Form 4 examinations are highly misplaced.

“As for O-Level, the issue brings us to the ongoing debate as to whether Grade 7 and O level exams should be abolished. Students are failing at Form 4 because the ZJC was abolished and they no longer have an examination which prepares them for their O-Levels.”

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