ABOLISH 100% PROGRESSION OF GRADE 7LEARNERS INTO GRADE 8, NAQEZ
By Flavior Kanungo
THE National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) Executive Director Aaron Chansa has urged the Ministry of Education to abolish the progression of all learners from Grade 7 into Grade 8.
Mr Chansa says the 100 % progression of learners is nationally condemned, academically suicidal and is an enemy of quality education in Zambia.
He said the practice cannot be justified any longer and any delay in dreading it will have more severe consequences on the standards of secondary and tertiary education in the country.
“In the past few years, all learners who sat for the Grade 7 examinations have been allowed to progress to Grade 8 even without any justification ,those who are not able to write their names are forced into secondary schools this makes it torturous and impossible for secondary school teachers to handle such illiterate learners,” Mr Chansa said.
“As we call for the abolition of the 100% progression of learners into Grade 8, we would like also to insist on introduction of serious transitional assessments from pre-school up to Grade 4,” he added.
He further asked the Ministry of Education to drastically formulate a comprehensive agenda on how to implement the two- tier pathway which is in the curriculum as well as call for a special indaba of educational stakeholders in order to provide a platform for an inclusive and consultative abolition of the retrogressive policy.