16 Feb 2022

The 2021 Botswana General Certificate of Secondary Education (BGCSE) examination results have registered a 61.27 per cent pass rate showing a slight improvement of 0.72 per cent over the previous year’s.

Speaking during a media conference on the results in Gaborone yesterday, Minister of Basic Education, Mr Fidelis Molao said the results were generally similar to those of 2020.

Overall performance for government and private school as well as individual private candidates was 61.27 per cent for 6Gs or better, 39.48 per cent for 6Es or better, 12.91 per cent for 6Cs or better and 0.32 per cent for 6As or better, the minister said.

He said the nation was already aware of the somewhat adverse context under which teaching and learning took place in the last two years.

Reiterating his message during the release of the Junior Certificate Examination (JCE) results last month, Minister Molao said although the ministry worked hard to support teaching and learning, the 2021 cohorts, at all levels, were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The COVID-19 pandemic with its associated protocols had negated the gains that could have been made,” he said.

Minister Molao stated that while the 2020 cohorts were also affected, the 2021 groups endured the pandemic over a stretch of two years characterised by national lockdowns, delayed school terms and closures.

Some members of the 2021 cohorts, he said, were either infected or affected by the pandemic whilst others lost contact time because they had to go into isolation.

“Some were bereaved having lost parents, teachers and close relatives, particularly during the era of the Delta variant,” he said.

Minister Molao said for Botswana to realise her dream of  being a knowledge-based economy, the first 12 years of education should provide a fertile ground for the 4th Industrial Revolution skills hence the introduction of the outcome-based education at senior school level.

He said the method was expected to improve education quality as espoused in Vision 2036 as well as the fourth Sustainable Development Goal.

According to Mr Molao, the just released results were a strong indicator of whether was on the way to attaining its stated aspirations.

“I am alive to the fact that the public will look at, and give meaning to the results in a variety of ways, but to us as a ministry, they are a necessary benchmark of where we are with respect to the desired ideal of quality education,” he said.

Minister Molao urged the public to embrace the results with a view to identify and deal with internal challenges that might have negated the desired achievement levels.

He commended the ministry and all other players in the basic education system for being resilient in the face of a harsh COVID-19 environment.

Minister Molao said the results were a product of collective efforts as a system, sector and government in making sure that learners completed their syllabi and were ready for the examinations.

He also applauded teachers, school administrations, PTAs, and learners’ parents, who during lockdowns and school closures made sure that their children were safe from COVID-19 while also ensuring that learning continued.

For his part, Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) CEO Dr Moreetsi Thobega stated that due to the rapid spread of the virus, schools had to close from 16 July to 31 August 2021 which impacted teaching and learning programmes and as a result moderation and examination schedules.

“This meant the examinations that were scheduled to start on 04 October and end on 17 November 2021 ended up starting on 18 October and ending on 24 November 2021,” he said.

However, he said despite the COVID-19 challenges, the conduct of examinations went relatively well.

Dr Thobega on October 23, 2021, eight candidates missed a science exam  due to the public transport strike in the Gaborone area.

The candidates were however granted special consideration, he said.

He revealed that investigations into seven cases of malpractice recorded in 2021 compared to five the previous were ongoing and nearing completion.

The BEC chief said due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, independent inspectors normally engaged by Cambridge Assessment International Education for BGCSE examination evaluation were not available for the  2021 examinations.

“So, for the second year running Cambridge International engaged the BEC Compliance and Quality Assurance Division to perform inspections of live examinations on their behalf,” Dr Thobega stated.

Dr Thobega stated that the analysis of the results at syllabus level showed that three syllabuses, Chemistry, Physical Education and Music recorded 100 per cent, Grade G or better.

He said Business Studies continued to record the lowest pass rate (83.73 per cent), which implied that about 16 per cent of candidates in the syllabus were assigned U.

“The most significantly improved syllabus at overall level, Grade G or better was History whilst the most deteriorated is Accounting with a decline of 5.11 per cent,” he said.

Dr Thobega said the results showed that females outperformed their male counterparts at overall level Grade G or better.

However, males outperformed their female counterparts at top grades (Grade A or better), he said.

The total number of candidates increased by around three per cent from 36 557 in 2020 to 37 629 in 2021. ENDS