By GIDEON NYENDWA
ZAMBIA has recorded mixed results from the grade seven and nine examinations with a 100 and 54 percent pass rate, respectively.
Minister of Education Douglas Siakalima unveiled a 100 percent pass rate at Grade 7, out of which 74, 865 candidates obtained division one, 107, 167 division two, and 73, 504 candidates obtained division three and 153, 905 division four.
At a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Siakalima said all the Grade 7 pupils who sat for the 2021 examinations have progressed to Grade 8, recording a 100 percent pass rate as was the case during the 2020 examination.
Mr Siakalima said the 100 percent pass rate meant that all the 409, 441 candidates who had sat for the 2021 Grade 7 composite examination would progress to Grade 8.
He said that the analysis revealed that girls had performed better than boys in six out of the seven subjects they sat for.
The minister attributed the performance to the ministry’s interventions on girl -child education bearing fruits.
“With the foregoing, it is justifiable to conclude that interventions by government and partners aimed at improving the participation and performance of the girl-child in examinations is yielding good results,” he said.
Mr Siakalima also announced that 140, 338 out of 257, 551 candidates who sat for the 2021 Grade 9 internal examination obtained certificates and have progressed to Grade 10.
He said that Grade 9 had recorded a 54.49 percent pass rate representing an increase of 1.42 percent compared to the 2020 results.
He noted an increased participation in examinations among girls stating that from 257, 551 candidates who sat for the 2021 internal examination, 132, 895 were girls while 124, 656 were boys.
Mr Siakalima said the Grade 10 national progression rate for 2021 had increased by 1.42 percent from 53.07 percent in 2020.
He said Zambia had conducted leakage free examinations for the third year running during the Grade 7 composite and Grade 9 internal examinations.
