Slight improvement in pass rate for PSLE

TANZANIA: THE National Examination Council of Tanzania (NECTA) has announced results of the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE), showing a slight improvement in pass rate.

The overall performance has improved by 0.96 per cent compared to last year’s results, while also showing close race between boys and girls.

Passing rate for boys stood at 80.59 per cent, while girls passing rate is at 80.58 per cent, which is a slight improvement compared to last year’s results for both genders, where pass rate was 80.41 per cent  for boys and 78.91 per cent for girls.

Announcing the results on Thursday, NECTA’s Executive Secretary, Dr Said Mohamed, told reporters that a total of 1,092,960 candidates, who sat for the examinations estimated as 80.58 per cent of the 1,356,296 candidates, passed with grades A, B, and C.

“A total of 507,920 boys, equal to 80.59 per cent, and 585,040 girls, equal to 80.58 per cent, passed their exams. Last year, a total of 1,073,402 students, equal to 79.62 per cent, passed their exams. This means that this year’s overall performance has improved by 0.96 per cent,” he said.

Dr Mohamed added that in terms of performance, most candidates have obtained B and C grades, where 314,646 candidates (23.20 per cent) had recorded B grade and 724,371 candidates (53.41 per cent) has posted C grade. Only 53,943 candidates equal to 3.98 per cent obtained grade A.

He said NECTA has results of 360 candidates who sat for the PSLE this year withheld for various reasons including succumbing to health problems and failure to take exams for all subjects or a large number of subjects.

He said that in compliance with the examination regulations as stipulated in Section 32(1), the eligible candidates have been granted the chance to retake the PSLE next year.

NECTA has also cancelled results of 31 candidates who sat for PSLE this year for cheating.

Furthermore, the Council has also banned two examination centres namely- Twibhoki and Graiyaki, both in the Serengeti District Council in Mara Region after proving to commit fraud in the particular exams.

“The Examination Board has also written strong warning letters to four examination centres, which are Mother of Mercy, St Mary’s Mbezi Beach in Dar es Salaam, Charm Modern of Karatu District Council in Arusha Region and Morotonga of Serengeti District Council in Mara Region, which attempted to engage in fraudulent activities in the examinations,” he said.

He added that the centres will be under the NECTA’s special supervision until the Council is satisfied that they are safe and clean enough for staging the national examinations.

A total of 1,397,370 candidates across the country sat for the PSLE from November 13 to 14 this year.

Out of the number, 654,652 were boys equivalent to 46.85 per cent and 742,718 were girls, equivalent to 53.15 per cent. The number included 4,583 candidates with special needs.