O’level, PLE results out

•79 % succeed in O’level national examinations GASABO - The Rwanda National Examination Council (RNEC) yesterday released national results for Ordinary level and Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE’s) for 2008 and a massive improvement was registered in both categories. The ceremony to announce the results was held at the RNEC offices in Remera and presided over by State Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Theoneste Mutsindasyhaka. Of the 48,960 candidates who sat for the O’level examinations, 38,527 passed, representing a massive 78.69 percentage which according to officials, is the best performance ever. Among the O’level candidates, a total of 21,967 were boys representing 57.02 percent while girls were 16,560 which represent 42.98 percent. Meanwhile, it was a different scenario in the PLE’s where competition between girls and boys was stiff as among the candidates who passed 49.3 were boys against the girls’ 48.8 percentage. A record improvement was also observed in PLE’s from 32.17 percent in 2007 to a massive 74.0 percent in 2008. A departure from the traditional way of awarding marks in the O’level exams, this year’s method was different as divisions were used as parameters to determine the best performers. According to Mutsindashyaka, the new system was adopted to harmonize with other member States of the East African Community as part of the efforts to integrate regional education systems. The best student performer in the O’level exams was Eric Manzi Rugamba from Green Hills Academy; the second is Sauda Niyigena from ENDP Karubanda while the third was Joan Uwase Kalimba from FAWE girls’ school. The best schools in the O’levels were Petit Seminaire Ndera (Kigali City) which was first, St P.Xavier de Nyundo (Western Province) came second while FAWE girls’ School which is also from Kigali City was third. In the PLE’s, Elvis Sekamana Manzi from La Colombiere in Gasabo District emerged the overall best pupil in the country, scoring an average of 93.0 percent, closely followed by Patrick Nsengumuremyi of Sonrise Academy in Musanze, Northern Province who scored an average of 92.7 percent. In his message to the students, Mutsindashyaka urged parents and students to carefully study the grading system in order to understand the performance, saying that this system is simpler to understand if well studied. Selection for students joining secondary schools begins on Friday while on Saturday selection for students joining A’level will resume. Students are expected to join their respective schools in a week or two, the ministry announced. Ends