CONTRARY to assertions by some people, the Ministry of Education has announced an improvement in learner performance, despite a significant increase in enrolment following the implementation of free education policies.
Minister of Education, Douglas Siakalima, announced this morning the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and Junior Secondary School Leaving Examination (JSSLE) results, highlighting a rise in the pass rate and a reduction in absenteeism.
He said out of the 543,069 candidates registered for the PSLE, 71.19 percent successfully obtained their Primary School Leaving Certificate, marking an increase in the pass rate from 69 percent last year.
This improvement comes alongside an 8.04 percent increase in registered candidates compared to the previous year.
Notably, the minister said the attendance rate for the examination stood at 90.56 percent with absenteeism slightly declining from 9.6 percent in 2023 to 9.44 percent in 2024.
Siakalima attributed the gains to recent initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality of education.
“Contrary to public concerns that quality would decline with increased enrolment, the results demonstrate that performance has slightly improved,” he said.
He mentioned key contributing factors included the recruitment of teachers, the procurement of learning resources, infrastructure upgrades, and the provision of desks.
Despite these achievements, challenges persisted. Syakalima said over 192,000 learners, representing 35.53 percent of those registered, will not progress to secondary school.
This includes 141,669 candidates who scored in Division Four and 51,284 who were absent from the examination.
In response, the minister directed the education permanent secretaries to reintegrate absentee learners and provide opportunities for others who failed to meet the requirements to junior secondary school to repeat primary education.
Meanwhile this year’s Junior Secondary School Leaving (JSSL) Examination recorded a significant increase in participation, with 325,108 candidates registered, a 3.6 percent rise compared to 2023.
The Minister stated that of the total registered candidates, 154,345 (47.47 percent) were boys, and 170,763 (52.53 percent) were girls.
He disclosed that out of the registered candidates, 302,870 (93.16 percent) sat for the examination, with 143,038 boys (47.23 percent) and 159,832 girls (52.77 percent).
The national absenteeism rate also decreased to 6.84 percent, a slight improvement from 6.98 percent in 2023.
Syakalima said total of 169,280 candidates (55.89 percent) obtained the Junior Secondary School Leaving Certificate, reflecting a 2.34 percentage point improvement from the 53.55 percent pass rate in 2023.
Meanwhile, 110,203 candidates (36.39 percent) received Statements of Results, down from 37.62 percent in 2023, and 23,387 candidates (7.72 percent) failed, compared to 8.83 percent the previous year.
Syakalima said the progression rate to Grade 10 in 2025 stands at 55.89 percent, an increase from 53.55 percent in 2023.
He added that Learners who wrote the 2024 Junior Secondary External (JSE) examination in July and obtained certificates are also eligible for Grade 10 enrollment in 2025.
Provincial Education Officers have been directed to ensure all eligible candidates are admitted during selection meetings.
Furthermore, Syakalima said no examination paper leakages or malpractices were reported during the 2024 Primary School Leaving (PSL) examination. However, 92 individual cases and one whole center case of suspected malpractice were reported during the JSSL examination.
He said results for those implicated have been withheld pending review by the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ) Board.
By Moses Makwaya
Kalemba December 24, 2024
Noted thanks for the update