By Paul Sixpence
Lozikeyi Primary School located in Bulawayo’s Nguboyenja suburb is in the eye of a storm after withholding the final Grade results of a young genius who scored a perfect six points.
Whizz kid, Thandeka Ncube, performed exceptionally well in this year’s Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) Grade 7 examinations. Instead of her and her family being in jubilation, celebrating her academic success they are being unsettled by the prospect of Thandeka failing to enroll for Form One since the school is withholding her results.
Thandeka’s plight was shared by Bulawayo deputy mayor and ward eight councillor, Edwin Ndlovu, in a residents WhatsApp group where he was soliciting donations towards settlement of outstanding tuition fees and enrollment support for Form One.
Irate residents immediately expressed their displeasure towards the school’s leadership including the School Development Committee (SDC) for being inconsiderate and indifferent to Thandeka’s plight. Many expressed sentiments to the effect that the school’s leadership actions could stall the learner’s promising academic journey and stop her from realising her full potential.
CITE contacted Taungana Ndoro, Director of Communications and Advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education on the legality of the school’s actions and what Thandeka’s family can do to rectify the challenge.
“No school is allowed to withhold Grade 7 results for whatever reason,” said Mr. Ndoro. “The affected candidates should approach the District office immediately for recourse.”
A human rights lawyer who spoke to CITE on condition of anonymity expressed concern over actions by some schools to withhold examination results pending the payment of outstanding tuition fees.
“What encourages this sad situation is that, in as much as it is against government policy, the government is aware that schools undertake these actions and does not take corrective measures to address the situation,” said the lawyer. “At times we are forced to advise parents and guardians to enter into payment plans with schools to secure their children’s examination results. If this fails, of course, the school leadership and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education may expose themselves to litigation.”
Civil litigation at times takes long much to the detriment of the learner’s academic pursuits.
Less than half of the students who sat for the 2023 ZIMSEC Grade 7 examinations passed. The pass rate stood at 45.57%. It is against this background that star learners like Thandeka must be supported for exceeding expectations and many hurdles that they face growing up in low-income families and under-resourced neighbourhoods.
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