Part-time Grade 10 students do better

PART-TIME Grade 10 students who wrote last year’s exams have recorded the highest percentage of graded entries so far for the Junior Secondary Certificate examinations.

Of all those who sat for one or more subjects, 89,6 per cent of students were graded compared to 88,2 per cent in 2004. The Directorate of National Examinations and Assessment said some 12 300 students enrolled last year, compared to 12 051 the previous year, an increase of 249 candidates or 2,1 per cent.On average, part-time candidates entered 2,2 subjects per candidate.The percentage of ungraded students decreased by 1,4 per cent from 11,8 per cent in 2004 to 10,4 per cent in 2005.”The cumulative percentage data supports the view that there was only a slight change in the performance of the 2005 candidates if compared to 2004,” the Directorate said.It said more part-time candidates, who were graded in 2005, mainly obtained grades in the lower grade range which resulted in the increases in the cumulative percentages for the grades E to G.The performances at the higher grades “were slightly poorer”.The Directorate said the majority of the part-time candidates were enrolled with the Namibian College of Open Learning (Namcol) for tuition.Around 2 109 or 7,9 per cent of the subject entries who enrolled for exams did not turn up to write the final exams.”Although there was a decrease in the candidates who have not turned up, part-time candidates should in future be encouraged by the tuition institutions to go and write the examinations they registered for,” the Directorate said.The number of points needed to proceed to Grade 11 full-time, is 23, obtained from the six best subjects, which must include English at Grade F level.The Directorate said “a very small number of irregularities were detected” in 2005 and the results of candidates suspected of involvement would be withheld until all investigations were completed.The Directorate of National Examinations and Assessment said some 12 300 students enrolled last year, compared to 12 051 the previous year, an increase of 249 candidates or 2,1 per cent.On average, part-time candidates entered 2,2 subjects per candidate.The percentage of ungraded students decreased by 1,4 per cent from 11,8 per cent in 2004 to 10,4 per cent in 2005.”The cumulative percentage data supports the view that there was only a slight change in the performance of the 2005 candidates if compared to 2004,” the Directorate said.It said more part-time candidates, who were graded in 2005, mainly obtained grades in the lower grade range which resulted in the increases in the cumulative percentages for the grades E to G.The performances at the higher grades “were slightly poorer”.The Directorate said the majority of the part-time candidates were enrolled with the Namibian College of Open Learning (Namcol) for tuition.Around 2 109 or 7,9 per cent of the subject entries who enrolled for exams did not turn up to write the final exams.”Although there was a decrease in the candidates who have not turned up, part-time candidates should in future be encouraged by the tuition institutions to go and write the examinations they registered for,” the Directorate said.The number of points needed to proceed to Grade 11 full-time, is 23, obtained from the six best subjects, which must include English at Grade F level.The Directorate said “a very small number of irregularities were detected” in 2005 and the results of candidates suspected of involvement would be withheld until all investigations were completed.