An Investigation into the Causes of Low Pass Rate at Grade Seven Final Examinations in Mudzi District in Mashonaland East Province

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the causes of low pass rates at Grade seven final examinations in Mudzi District primary schools. The sample comprised all the primary school teachers in the district. The sample was made up of 120 teachers selected from the 24 randomly selected schools. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. All the data was collected through a questionnaire which was largely made up of close-ended questions and one open-ended one. The study revealed that the quality of the teaching staff has a huge bearing on the performance of pupils at Grade seven final examinations. Large class sizes also negatively impacted upon the performance of pupils. The study also revealed that heads of schools were paying little attention to the supervision of teachers in order to provide instructional guidance for effective teaching by teachers. The study recommends that the District Education Office should priorities the deployment of qualified teachers to disadvantaged districts so that pupils from these areas cannot also benefit from the expertise of qualified teachers. KeyWords : Causes, primary schools, grade seven, pass rate, final examinations, district