Zimpapers Logo

not get Advanced Level placements in formal schools this year due to limited places.
According to statistics from the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council, 164 434 out of the 229 000 candidates obtained the mandatory five subject passes needed to proceed to “A” Level.
This figure excludes candidates who sat for the public exams at informal schools and private centres.
Zimbabwe’s 548 schools offering “A” Level classes cannot accommodate all those who passed.
Traditionally, about 20 percent of “O” Level candidates proceed to “A” Level, but this year half this number is guaranteed formal places.
A significant number of pupils go to vocational training centres and technical colleges offering national certificates.
However, with the employment market already strained, such qualifications are not as attractive as they were in years gone by.
According to official Education, Sport, Arts and Culture Ministry statistics, about 40 000 pupils can be absorbed by formal schools for “A” Level this year.
This means more than 120 000 successful “O” Level candidates will have to go to informal institutions – which are more expensive than formal ones – or vocational technical colleges and technical colleges.
This has triggered a race for places.
In response, schools have introduced tighter demands as enrolment pre-requisites.
The situation has been made worse by the fact that school heads no longer meet to choose their preferred “A” Level students as was done previously.
Pupils now need to physically move from one school to another in search of a place.
Parents and guardians who spoke to The Herald this week told of their harrowing experiences in this quest.
“We have lost a lot of money in bus fares as we go from school to school in search of a place for our son.
“At some schools, the subject combinations available are not ideal because they have already taken many students on board.
“Schools are opting for quality and have reduced the number of pupils per class to ensure maximum attention to pupils,” lamented Mr Tatenda Makurudza of Haig Park.
Another parent, Mrs Machingura of Glendale, said: “My child was at Gokomere High School and got three A’s and six B’s, but was told she cannot get a place there as the cut off point is 5 A’s.
“I did not even know what to do with her as I feel she needed to learn at a boarding school to keep her away from the temptations of urban life.”
Mr Kuda Mushonga of Mount Pleasant added: “We had to convince her (his daughter) to settle for a Harare school after efforts to enroll her at Goromonzi and Waddilove high schools, which were her preferred choices, failed.”
Formal schools are also said to be largely turning away children from private colleges.
They allege that pupils from informal schools would have been exposed to drug and alcohol abuse, and might be interested in sexual relationships with their colleagues.
Church schools are increasingly insisting on taking students affiliated to their religions and/or denominations.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe said: “We usually get together as stakeholders to review the examination outcomes but that has not been done.
“The situation has been worsened by the fact that school authorities and teacher associations are no longer meeting to discuss education development issues.
“This means no one is aware of the number of children that have failed to secure places to study Advanced Level.”