Leaders concerned about poor performance of pupils in exams

EASTERN PROVINCE GATSIBO — A district education official said this week that concerned authorities would meet to establish the cause of poor performance registered in last years national examinations. While some schools had a slight improvement, most of them returned poor results compared to the previous year. According to mark sheets from the district, a host of primary six candidates in several schools in the district failed to attain the pass mark set by the Ministry of Education and the Rwanda National Examinations Council. The Ministry and Examination Council pass mark last year was 38 percent for primary six candidates and 3.6 for ordinary level candidates. Out of 3,466 pupils who sat for the 2007 primary leaving exams, 527 passed. In 2006, out of 3,959 pupils who sat the exams 525 pupils passed. Eight primary schools across the district failed to get even a single pupil passing the examinations. They include Mastered-seed, Gatoki and Bihinga primary Schools in Kabarore Sector, Muhura catholic primary in Muhura sector, and Ntete primary in Kiramuruzi sector. Others include Kirwa, Rugogwe, and Gishikiri primary schools. The best pupil in the primary leaving examinations Christien Kalisa from Ngarama ADEPR scored 66 marks, followed by Claude .J Bizimana from Rwibogo with 65.7 and Bosco Ndindiriyimana of Nyagasiga Primary School took the third position with 64.7 points. For secondary schools, out of 2,072 students who sat for ordinary level exams, 405 passed with an overall percentage of 19.5. In 2006, 391 students passed out of 1,687 total number, representing 23.3 percent. “Though there has been an improvement in the percentage and overall performance in some secondary schools, some primary schools performed poorly,” Fredric Rutebuka, the district director of education said at the district headquarters in Kabarore. He said that they were yet to identify the reasons for poor performance in order to reverse the trend. In the ordinary level exams the best student Justus Karenzi emerged from Kiziguro with 8.3 points followed by Munasseh Ukizinkuru of Gasange secondary school with 8.1 while Gabiro High School produced the third best student John Iyamuremye with 8.0 points. The best three performing secondary schools in the district were E S Gasange, E S Kiziguro in Kiziguro sector and G.S Muhura in Muhura Sector. While the best three primary schools according to the district ranking were Bibare primary in Ngarama Sector, Karama primary in Nyagihanga Sector and Nyagahanga primary in Gatsibo Sector. Ends