By Staff Reporter
Primary and Secondary Education Minister Cain Mathema has told Parliament that parents need not worry about the poor Grade 7 results, adding that the examination is not that important.
He said the examination only serves to direct parents and teachers to identify areas they can help learners when they go to secondary.
The Minister’s sentiments come on the back of an outcry over the dismal failure by 2020 grade seven pupils.
Pass rate for the exam is said to be around 38%, with some schools said to have zero pass rate.
According to Mathema, the 2020 Grade 7 exams pass rate is comparable to past years like 2009 to 2014.
Answering questions in the National Assembly, Mathema said “Zimbabweans need to know that the Grade 7 examination is not the old standard 6 certification which was a terminal examination that could give candidates/students avenues to professions.
“The Grade 7 examination in its current form, simply directs candidates, parents, and teachers to areas where candidates need assistance in competency development and enhancement in their secondary school academic lives.
“It is important to note that Grade 7 candidate performance has been erratic over a number of years. The year-on-year performance changes because of a variety of reasons which any academic is able to put forward.” He said.
The government has been under fire in the past decade for continuing to under fund education and remunerating teachers.
This is despite being signatory to instruments that requires education to get about 20% of budget.
COVID-19 which was first recorded in Zimbabwe in March of 2020 further weakened an already weak education system.
Teachers and the government were already not seeing eye to eye over working conditions.
According to teachers, they will only be happy if they start receiving salaries in US dollars or the amount equivalent in RTGS.
Don’t cry, Grade 7 is not that important: Mathema
