National Pass Level Continues To Fall

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Monday March 8, 2010 00:00

In her committee of supply speech last Thursday, the Minister of Education, Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi said that at primary schools, the Standard Eight pass level has gradually declined from 72.9 percent in 2007 to 69.8 percent in 2008 and 68.2 percent in 2009. The pass level at junior secondary certificate examinations remained constant at 75 percent for the same period. In senior secondary - Form Five examinations or BGCSE - the pass level of C and above dropped from 37.53 percent in 2007 to 34.75 percent in 2009. The results have been showing a steady decline since 2006.

The minister said transition  from junior secondary has declined from 57 percent to 54 percent in 2010. The fall is associated with the poor performance of learners in the Junior  Certificate Examinations. Before this state of affairs, the transition from junior secondary to senior schools had increased from 49 percent to 66 percent in 2008. The minister said the drop in cumulative performance for the grade C or better could partly be explained by a decline in the quality of work by students in some subjects. She attributed the decline to the fact that the Botswana Examinations Council continues to make minor upward adjustments of standards in subjects such as science, in line with international standards.

The minister said the downward spiral in the students' performance at national  examinations is evidence of the decline in  the quality of education in the country. 'This is a clear indication that drastic measures need to be put in place in order  to reform and revive the  education sector,' Venson-Moitoi said.

She said the ministry has  identified  various areas that need immediate attention, among them the conditions  of service of teachers, housing office space, provision of teaching equipment, training of new teachers and re-training of those already on the job.

The minister said the gross enrolment ratio at tertiary level is projected to increase to 13 percent in 2009-2010.She added that the completion of infrastructure developments  such as the University of Botswana expansion, establishment of  the Botswana  International University of Science and Technology, Oodi College of  Applied Arts, Francistown CTVE,  expansion and  refurbishment of colleges in  Francistown, Serowe and Gaborone Technical College (GTC) will go  a long way in increasing access to tertiary education.