A-Level progression: Are pupils cutting corners?
Ever wondered how some private colleges in Harare’s central business district manage to attract pupils with their questionable locations and names?
DESPITE being situated in buildings famed for informal trading and external traffic uncharacteristic of a learning environment, these colleges are popular among parents whose children fail to meet the minimum requirements for Advanced Level at public institutions.
Chenai Ndlovu (not her real name) used to learn at a mission school known for achieving high marks and a glowing pass rate.
“I used to learn at a mission school and passed only four subjects with Cs. They wanted at least four As so going back there was out of the question,” she said.
The results came as a surprise to her since she used to do well in school examinations.
“I used to score high marks when we wrote exams but I do not know what happened on the final examinations,” said Ndlovu.
Of the eight subjects she had, she had four Cs and 3 Ds and 1U. From the Ds she got, her belief is that she was not far off the mark.
“Getting a D symbol is not a disaster, it shows that I was close to a pass. When my parents asked me what I wanted to do, I opted to proceed to A-Level and supplement,” said Ndlovu.
Her attempts to get a place at local high schools of her choice failed as they were strict on the requirements.
This left her with no option but to approach a college in town for a place, which she got with ease.
“I went to my current college, it did not take me five minutes to get a place. They gave me a uniform list right away,” she said.
Asked whether she intends to write the outstanding subjects, she said she would write in November and has already started attending private lessons for Maths and English which she failed.
This has been the case for thousands of pupils who have been found wanting on their Ordinary Level examinations.
They are proceeding without the required five O-Level subjects needed to proceed to A-Level.
Parents who spoke to The Herald were divided on whether students should proceed to A-Level without the five subjects.
Mr Tedious Marowa, a Harare-based parent, said the country should move with the times and allow children to grow.
“The harsh system which requires pupils to discontinue their academic progress until they get five subjects is archaic,” he said.
Mr Marowa said if a child is dedicated, they can supplement while in Lower sixth without any problem.
“Let’s say a child gets three or four subjects from their O-Level sitting. It does not make sense for them to go back to Form Three to do two subjects,” he said.
He added, “That would be too costly for the parents and honestly a child can’t spend two years doing two supplementary subjects,” he said.
Mr Marowa added that the strict entry requirements were driving parents to private colleges.
“Truth is, students who supplement end up in the same class as those who went straight to schools with high requirements at university,” Mr Marowa said.
He added that a child’s shortcomings should be reasonably evaluated with pro- gress in sight.
Another parent, Mrs Marjory Mhaka said there was a need to regulate these enrolments as they diminish the reward of hard work.
“What would be the incentive for those who strive to get high marks if those stumbled were allowed to proceed?” she said.
She complained that the process would devalue local education.
“Most of the new private schools and colleges are after money. They will not do much to ensure that the pupils supplement the subjects the failed.
“Problem is when they finish high school, they leave for Cyprus to study there without fulfilling local requirements,” she said.
She added that those people are then “smuggled” back into the work force after spending years abroad.
“The way I see it, the process of learning is not only about passing and getting marks.
There is also an element of due diligence cultivated by going through the gruelling academic process. It makes one a better person,” she said.
The Ministry of Education does not prohibit progression of pupils who do not pass with five O-Level subjects.
However, it does not encourage that route if alternative exist.
Speaking to The Herald, Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Professor Paul Mavhima said although they have reservations, it is not in their power to prevent learners from progressing.
“At public institutions there is a high competition for places.
Some schools even ask for five A’s from prospective A-Level students. That makes it impossible for a person without five O-Level subjects to enrol,” he said.
Prof Mavhima added that public schools were not allowed to enrol A-Level pupils who did not meet the required subjects.
“Our schools, as a matter of policy, do not admit those who do not have five O-Level subjects.
However, there are options. They can join non-formal lessons at our school to progress,” he said.
With public schools setting the bar too high, private colleges have capitalised on those who wish to progress. There is no written policy prohibiting their admission.
“We can’t stand in the way of a private citizen who wishes to progress with their studies even without the needed requirements. They just can’t do it at public schools,” said Prof Mavhima.
He warned that most who have chosen to pursue that route in the past have wasted money.
“We recognise continuous learning, by so doing we can’t discourage people from continuing with their education. If someone passes their five O-Levels but without key subjects like Maths and English, they can progress as they supplement,” Prof Mavhima said.
He emphasised that pupils need to put their houses in order before they apply for tertiary education.
Most institutions have five ordinary level subjects as part of their minimum entry requirements.
Some have held the idea that the strict entry requirements are a colonial hangover.
They see them as remnants of a system meant to screen black pupils as they go higher on the academic ladder.
An educationist working with the University of Zimbabwe, Dr Peter Kwaira, said students should be allowed to proceed as long as they are focused.
“If a person is dedicated and willing to lift themselves up after a disappointing examination sitting they should be allowed to progress, provided that they are reasonably close to the requirements,” he said.
Dr Kwaira added that education is a timebound process and people have to utilise the opportunities available to them.
“It is wise for someone to catch up if they have faltered and read concurrently than to repeat entirely. The resources at hand might not be available for them to progress by the time they finish writing the outstanding subjects,” Dr Kwaira said.
He said pupils have different levels of comprehension and aptitude and the system should be accommodative of all types.
“In education, some learners mature early and some mature late. Sometimes people do not perform the same way at the same time. Those who cannot get five O-Level subjects in one sitting are not useless,” said Dr Kwaira.
Sometimes examination performance is not a true reflection of a learner’s capability. Life events like bereavement might affect their results.
“Even in university, students do not pass all the modules in one sitting. Some actually carry failed modules to the next semester but they progress. Why should pupils be different?” said Dr Kwaira.
He maintained that it is the dedication of the learner in question and the grades they attained that matter.
“There just needs to be due care in ensuring that the child being allowed to progress to A-Level without enough subjects is capable of handling the pressure that comes with supplementing,” he said.
The Zimbabwe Teachers’ Association chief executive officer, Sifiso Ndlovu, advised that parents should be patient, allowing pupils to meet requirements before proceeding to A-Level.
“We recommend that pupils who want to proceed to A-Level should meet the needed requirements. If they do not have enough subjects, they should sit and write them before they proceed,” he said.
This reduced pressure on the learners and allowed them to focus, he said.
He described allowing a child to progress without the prerequisites as a gamble.
“How can a person who failed to pass O-Level subjects handle two courses doing A-Level and O-Level subjects simultaneously?” asked Ndlovu.
He added: “I think it will be unfair for us to support that system as education stakeholders because it strains the learner. Moreover, it is a gamble by both the pupil and parents.”
Choices made in selecting subject combinations will end up being more of convenience than the learner’s preference.
“A learner needs to have a clear vision of the path they want to pursue.
“It affects the pupil’s career choice as they end up getting combinations that are accord with their few subject instead of what they want,” said Ndlovu, highlighting how the country ends up with unmotivated professionals.
Asking learners to repeat Form Three and Four to get one or two outstanding subjects will surely prove costly to the parents.
The same applies to asking pupils to handle their three A-Level subjects while supplementing two or more O-Level subjects.
It remains a case of price versus principle whether a child should proceed to A-Level with three or four subject from their O-Level examination sitting.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education discourages this route, while private colleges thrive on it.