Stop forcing grade nine dropouts into grade six, orders East PEO
By Staff Reporter
The Ministry of General Education in Eastern Province has ordered headteachers to stop sending grade nine dropouts into grade six.
Provincial Education Officer Allan Lingambe said there was no policy which stated that grade nine failures would be required to go back and repeat grade six.
Dr Lingambe was reacting to reports that a head teacher at Chipikula Primary School in Paramount Chief Mpezeni’s area, had enrolled grade nine failures into grade six.
“We received the report and this office has instructed the District Education Board Secretary to summon the headteacher and warn him strongly because he is misleading the community,” said Dr Lingambe.
“I had a meeting with head teachers last week, to clarify on the matter. The ministry’s policy is clear, affirming that pupils who fail grade nine are given another opportunity to sit for examinations under external system and that they only sit for subjects they did not do well.”
