THE Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) has called for quick implementation of the abolition of the grade seven cut off point system because it is hindering the progression of more pupils to grade eight.ZANEC chairperson Barbara Chilangwa said the increase in the number of facilities in the education sector would help avert the high number of grade seven school drop outs in Zambia.
Mrs Chilangwa said at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday that the cut off point system had continued to hinder pupils’ progression into grade eight despite Government’s promise to abolish the system. She said 29 per cent of pupils who had dropped out of school this year, was too significant and would negatively affect Zambia’s chances of attaining basic education for all by 2015, saying meeting the goal called for more commitment from the Government.
“I am concerned that in the year 2010 we can still have 87,610 pupils dropping out of the school system at grade seven because they were not selected to grade eight, we only have five years to go and still 29 per cent of our children can not progress to the next stage due to lack of classroom space,” she said.
She said the Ministry of Education had taken too long to complete the implementation of its 1996 policy document, which clearly stated that the ministry intended to upgrade primary schools to complete basic schools, which would offer basic education from grade one to nine.
She said infrastructure development programmes needed to be accelerated to meet the classroom requirements at upper basic level.
A detailed analysis of the grade eight-progression rates between 2004 and 2009 showed that the infrastructure development programme which the ministry had been implementing over the last two years, was just beginning to make an impact.
She commended Luapula and North-Western provinces for recording a 100 per cent progression to grade eight, but said the two provinces had recorded the poorest results at grade 12 over the years saying there was need to target them specifically so that the results could at least be balanced.
[Times of Zambia]
this is nosense!!! if u have children who are so dull pliz dont destroy our education system!!! this is the main reason why children of nowadays are so playful they have no time for jobin!!! all they know are jst video games listening to music!! GOD pliz help !!!!!
#1 mm She is talking about cut off point not abolishing grade 7 exams, I support her hundred percent. We need progression for all students who have managed to score the minimum passing marks. We need more literates in the country it is a positive move.
this is a good idea…while theyre at it..why not take all the uneducated street kids and put them into natural sciences unza….it myt work…..
Cry for my beloved country. Where are we going to with all this nonses. #1 and #3 I agree with you. #2, an exam is intended to filter those who pass and those who fail. Thats what a cut off point means-a MINIMUM PASS MARK. I hope you have no problem with this. This must not be allowed. The solution of inadequate infrastructure MUST be addressed rather. We can no continue seeing a situation where grade 8 pupils cant even spell their names. SHAME! If one can not pass grade 7, they will not pass grade 9. They will be pushed again. They will not pass grade 12. They will be pushed again. They will not pass at UNZA. They will be pushed again. They will not deliver at work. They will be MMD cadres. Please do mess up our country so triavialy. Tell these pupils to study
#4 Free at Last If you read the article and can pick what she is talking about, the issue is that the Government is slow in putting up infrastructure to have classrooms for pupils who qualify but are denied to go to grade eight. The cut off point system was introduced to control the limited spaces the government had in grade 8 not that they fail, this issue again entails that the Government need to employ more teachers to take up those increased numbers in classrooms(may this is the cause of the delay on the part of the government)
Cut off points should only be for technical and private schools otherwise ordinary govn schools should be able to get as much kids as they can without cut off points
Thanks #5 for the info. If thats why the cut off point was introduced then its not good. I agree with you that GRZ must be serious to build more infrastructure and also train more teachers. On teachers, I must also suggest that we need first class students to be enrolled in the teaching profession. This means that only pupils with points ranging from 6 to 14 must be additted for teaching courses. Anyone below this must not qualify as a teacher. teaching must be left to well talented accademics. I dont expect someone who failed to pass or perform well at grade 12 to be able to teach others what he him self did not understand. Let us not lower the standards of our education guys. my thoughts.
The abolishing of the Grade 7 exam to Form 1 are overdue, The system was left behind by the British to undermine and destroy the Zambian development. The Grade 10 exam should also be abolished.Learn from the American System of Education
The Zambian Parliament needs to wake from sleeping on the switch to working on real issues which affect the country daily like education,housing and health.
it is worring to hear irrational sentiments from the so called ZANEC. i dont see any covincing points as to why we should abolish the grade seven cut of points. moreover education should not be understood in terms of sitting down on the desk, instead its all about critical consciousness .it is better to have few but effecient and effective grade 8 pupils than to have many ifikopo wasting the taxpayers money.
Free at last I agree with all the comments that you have posted. Honestly if a pupil cannot pass grade seven, don’t expect them to pass grade nine. There is no way one can pushed all the way to UNZA/College.The cut off point should not be abolished coz its assists Exam Council to select dedicated and hard working students that will contribute to our country in future.Vachibaka kubuyo to next level should not be tolerated. I have a relative that was pushed all the way and he failed to pass grade 12. He only passed one sub i.e he got 8. Education system as far as cut off point is concerned should be left the way it is. Otherwise u should accommodate everyone at colleges/University even those that got 9 in all the subject. Just improve infrastructures and number of productive teachers. # 1 I
# 1 mm I agree with you as well
The solution here is building more schools the cut off point is meant to make children aim higher it has never stopped anyone from progressing to secondary school.There are a lot of kids without grade 7 certificates who have found themselves at hillcrest.No 8 zambia can not afford to have the american or english education system,these guys here have a system for children who leave secondary school without certificates.Zambia can barely look after thousands of unemployed graduates late alone ????????//guys we dont need zambia to sink anyfurther than it has.
No.1 u are very right
# 4 “Free at last”
I failed the grade 7 exam lamentably, but was pushed to grade 8 under the APU system. then i passed by far the grade 9 exam and excelled my grade 12.. Currently am pursuing a master degree in europe.
So failing grade 7 is not an issue. What the GRZ need to do is create as many as possible places for grade 8 pupils. the more classes we have the less number of pupils will drop off..
# 15 maybe u failed with a few marks at grade 7 that is why you managed to excel the rest of the levels. There are some students that are very dull, abolishing cut off point is encouraging laziness besides most kids of nowadays like the easy way out.
Off topic–Yr photo is so scaring.
Selfish creatures will not stop to amuse me, how old are these children when they write there grade 7 examination. They are still young and their minds are still developing. Zambia will continue to be retrogessive whilst the rest of the world is progressing. UN made a declaration in September 2000 to offer education for all.Now you guys you are still talking of bush education system
Agree with Mr Tembo, grade 7 exams were a colonial filter to stop africans being ‘fully’ educated. That an African government continues to practice such discrimination against its own people is unforgivable. If the education system is healthy, you should not be concerned about who leaves g7 for g8 because the earlier grades would have held back all kids who fail lower grades from progressing to the next by letting them repeat. The international standard for a pass is 50% but admission to g8 should depend on the schools they want to move to. I am not advocating lower standards but 50% is an international benchmark. Zambia needs educated people to allow the country to develop out of poverty. We are fooling ourselves people, our skills base is very low for our hopes to grow economically
imwe guys everybody wether dull or Intelligent should have the right to education
the cut off point will always be there as long as the number of places does not match the number of candidates sitting the grade 7 examination. the issue of infrastructure is the real issue. while some are not being selected others do not have access to school and a good number absent themselves from examinations. these are the issues that need urgent attention!
Good point Mrs Chilangwa, please cut off the Grade seven cut of points. There should be exams but no cut off points. I think that is how its done in SA if not mistaken.
#1. Your statement is completely ridiculous… the children that can afford video games have no issues making it to grade 8 because private schools accept you as long as you can pay the fees. This issue is really more for the poorer people in our population… if the facilities are there then young people should be allowed to progress. If we continue having children drop out…the future will be terrible. More children on the streets, more uneducated people seeking manual labour which is very limited…the gap between those that have and those that don’t will increase exponentially. There’s more to the matter than just jobbing or passing exams..education is an opportunity to break the poverty cycle, and if you cut children off at 12/13 yrs old ninshi it is a catastrophe
I think the cut-off point should not be abolished. If a pupil wants to pass they will still pass so long they work hard. It’s all about hard-work and determination. Those who do not want to put in their best have to remain behind or enroll as APU pupils as did #15.In Christianity we talk of everlasting life as belonging to those who will put faith in Christ and endure to the end. That in itself to me can be considered as cut-off point. So the issue of cut-off point is one that has been part of us.
#18 don’t always blame the colonial masters and the west for every problem. They brought education to Africa and helped us to start living in decent houses as opposed to caves.If you want to go back to living in caves continue insulting them like you are doing.
In my opinion, the cut off system acts as a barometer for ensuring that we have intelligent children going to grade 8. Maybe they should reduce the mark, but allowing ifikopo to proceed to grade 8 is doing a diservice to our education system. Ubukopo nabo..awe sure, bulwele!
this cut off system and grade 7 certificate is nonsense. children should be able to school for 12 years uninterupted. how does one expect a 12 year old understand that his/her decisions have lifelong impact. it’s not about being dull its about allowing a child to develop according to its abilities. grade 7, grade 10 exams are an evil filteration system designed by colonialists and maintained by “the free”. build more secondary and technical schools so no one is left behind. i am surprised at how blind sided most of you guys are.
#23 Ubu Chritian bwa bufi, why are Zambians so quick to use the bible in arguments that have nothing to do with such. I can also argue that sinners are the ones that need saving, thus so called “ifikopo” are the ones who need the education. Lets be realistic here, in Zambia girls go to school and then come home to do house work..this is in rural areas..school is not considered as a priority. So any excuse u give such parents will have the child end up on the streets. The problems here are far reaching..its not just about a school system its about a society breaking down and children being cutoff from opportunities (12 yr olds being put out of school) . I’m also a Christian by the way. Imagine yourself at 12 and not being given an opportunity to succeed because of one exam
8-|:d:”>:((:d/ i think that really tru :x:-?