Over 169,000 obtain Junior Secondary School Certificate in 2024, as girls dominate Primary School Leaving Examination

A total of 169,280 candidates obtained the Junior Secondary School Leaving (JSSL) Certificate in 2024, representing a 55.89 percent pass rate, an improvement of 2.34 percentage points from the 53.55 percent recorded in 2023, according to Education Minister Douglas Syakalima.

Out of the 302,870 candidates who sat the 2024 examination, 110,203 received Statements, compared to 37.62 percent in 2023, while 23,387 failed, representing an 8.83 percent failure rate.

A total of 325,108 candidates registered for the 2024 JSSL examination, marking a 3.6 percent increase compared to 2023.

Of those registered, 154,345 were boys and 170,763 were girls, with 93.16 percent attending the examination.

The absenteeism rate decreased slightly from 6.98 percent in 2023 to 6.84 percent in 2024, with 22,238 candidates absent.

At the primary level, 350,116 candidates obtained the Primary School Leaving Certificate (PSLC), achieving a 71.19 percent pass rate.

The progression rate from primary to secondary school improved to 71.19 percent in 2024, compared to 69 percent in 2023.

“A total of 543,069 candidates registered for the 2024 Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), reflecting an increase of 8.04 percent from 2023,” Syakalima said. Of these, 491,785 candidates sat for the examination, representing a 90.56 percent attendance rate.

Read More: Education ministry calls for integrity in end-of- year 2024 school examinations

Syakalima highlighted that more girls than boys continued to register and sit for the PSL examination, with 257,688 girls compared to 234,097 boys sitting the 2024 examination.

Despite the improvements, 141,669 candidates, representing 28.81 percent of those who sat for the PSLE, obtained Division Four and will not proceed to secondary school.

Combined with the 51,284 candidates who were absent, 35.53 percent of registered candidates will not advance to secondary education in 2025.

The minister also announced that Grade 8 learners would resume school on February 10, 2025, while Grade 10 learners would open alongside the rest of the school system on January 13, 2025.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.