By JIMMY CHIBUYE
GOVERNMENT has directed provincial education officers to increase the number of places in grade 10 classes from 35 to 45 to accommodate more pupils in view of the 2013 “excellent pass rate”.
Chief Government spokesperson Mwansa Kapeya said in a statement yesterday that there was need to absorb more pupils by making sure there were more school places for them.
“Government is pleased that the nation has achieved such a high pass rate in the 2013 joint examinations within a short period of implementing some ambitious policies such as massive teacher recruitment, upward salary adjustments and infrastructure upgrade among others.
“In order to absorb all the girls and boys who passed the 2013 joint examination for the school certificate and general certificate of education ordinary level, Government has in the short-term directed all provincial education officers to increase the number of school places in each grade 10 class from 35 to 45,” Mr Kapeya said.
He said Government has further directed Chipata, Mansa and Kasama trades training Institutes to take on 95 pupils each who wish to enroll for life training skills alongside their regular schooling.
Mr Kapeya, who is also Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said the excellent pass rate in the 2013 joint examination for the school certificate and general certificate of education ordinary level results indicate that Government’s interventions introduced in the education sector are paying off.
“Government is delighted interventions such as early childhood education, massive teacher recruitment, upward salary adjustments, infrastructure upgrade and an increase of the budgetary allocation on education are paying off, he said.
Mr Kapeya said the 2013 results exceeds the 2011 and 2012 results by over two percent and have improved significantly, the 2012 national pass rate was 58.08 percent and the pass rate improved in 2013 to 60.21 percent and the 2012 failure rate has reduced from 2.15 percent to 1.70 percent.
The minister said in the long-term, Government has embarked on a programme to upgrade 220 basic schools countrywide to secondary schools and that funds for the exercise have been provided for in the 2014 national budget.
Mr Kapeya said Government is further pleased the pass rate for girls has increased from 54.98 percent in 2012 to 57.85 percent in 2013.
He said increasing the number of girls passing such examinations is one of the strategic priorities of Government to enhance the participation of women in decision-making and national development.
Mr Kapeya said the achievement should be celebrated together with the commemoration of International Women’s Day which falls today.
He said Government congratulates the teachers and pupils for the monumental achievement in the education sector.
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