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About 156, 315 candidates who sat for the 2023 Junior Secondary School examinations have obtained Certifcates to Grade 10, Minister of Education Douglas Siyakalima has announced.
Syakalima said this was out of the 291,894 candidates that sat the 2023 Junior Secondary School Leaving Examination representing 53.55 pass rate.
The Minister announced this during the joint release of the 2023 Grade 9 and Grade 7 Examinations results in Lusaka on Tuesday.
He stated that this showed a marginal decrease in certificate pass rates from 54.16 percent, in 2022.
“A total of 109,803 or 37.62 percent obtained Statements of Results, while 25,776 or 8.83 percent failed the examination,” Syakalima revealed.
The Minister said a total of 21,897 candidates were absent, bringing the 2023 national absenteeism rate to 6.98 percent.
He added that this showed a marginal decrease of 0.32 percentage points from 7.30 percent absenteeism, which was reported in 2022.
“A total of 156,176 candidates progressed to Grade 10. Of those who progressed, 74,375 or 47.62 percent were boys and 81,801 or 52.38 percent were girls,” Syakalima stated.
He said this brings the 2023 Grade 10 national progression rate to 53.53 percent, showing a decrease of 0.65 percent from the 54.18 percent recorded in 2022.
Syakalima further announced that the country had for the fifth year running, not recorded leakage of examination question papers, for both Grade 7 and Grade 9 examinations.
Meanwhile, the Minister announced that of the 454, 213 Zambian candidates who sat for the Grade seven examination, a total of 316, 690 candidates, representing 69.72 percent, obtained the Primary School Certificate.
“Of the 316, 690 candidates who obtained Primary School Certificates, 165, 131 or 52.14 percent were girls, while 151, 559 or 47.86 percent were boys. These are the candidates who are eligible for selection to secondary school in 2024,” he said.
Syakalima added that of the 454,213 Zambians who sat the examination, 137,523 candidates, representing 30.28 percent, obtained Division Four.
He emphasized that these were the candidates who were not eligible for selection to Grade eight in 2024, because they failed to make a Primary School Certificate;
“Out of the 502, 670 who had entered for the examination, 48,274 candidates were absent, giving an absenteeism rate of 9.60 percent,” the Minister stated.
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Syakalima noted that this shows an increase of 1.21 percentage points from the 8.39 percent absenteeism, which was recorded in 2022.
He said a total of 502,670 candidates registered for the 2023 Grade 7 Composite Examination representing an increase of 1.77 percent from 493,932 candidates who had registered for the same examination in 2022.
“The 2024 Grade 8 and 10 classes will open on Monday January 8, 2024 at the same time as the other grades,” the Minister indicated.
He stated that selected pupils would maintain their school places until Friday January, 19, 2024 and afterwards, school authorities may replace the selected candidates with any other, who qualify according to the set performance standards.
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