Grade 12 pass rate drops

75,737 candidates that sat for grade 12 examinations in 2018 have obtained school certificates.

This is from a total of 119,383 candidates who wrote the examination.

Announcing the results in Lusaka, General Education Minister David Mabumba said a 63.44 percent pass rate was recorded compared to 64.84 percent recorded in 2017 indicating a 1.40 percent drop.

Mabumba attributed the decrease in performance to various factors such as the suspension of the conduct of the 2018 examinations.

He explained that according to the analysis on the performance of candidates, the proportion of boys who obtained school certificated was higher at 65.14 than that of girls which was at 61.53 percent.

The minister further said the number of schools that recorded 100 percent pass rate decreased from 73 in 2017 to 70 in 2018.