STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, HONOURABLE DOUGLAS SYAKALIMA MP, ON THE RELEASE OF THE 2022 JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL EXTERNAL (GRADE 9 EXTERNAL) AND GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION (G.C.E) EXAMINATION RESULTS

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Republic of Zambia
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION, HONOURABLE DOUGLAS SYAKALIMA MP, ON THE RELEASE OF THE 2022 JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL EXTERNAL (GRADE 9 EXTERNAL) AND GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION (G.C.E) EXAMINATION RESULTS

Monday, 26th September, 2022
Salutations
 Permanent Secretaries – Administration and Education Services: Ministry of Education;
 Directors in the Ministry of Education and the Examinations Council of Zambia;
 Senior Staff in the Ministry of Education and the Examinations Council of Zambia;
 Members of the Media Present;
 Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
I am pleased to inform the nation that the Ministry of Education, working through the Examinations Council of Zambia (ECZ), has completed processing the results for the 2022 Junior Secondary School (Grade 9) External and General Certificate of Education (G.C.E) Examinations.
The Junior Secondary School (Grade 9) External Examination was written from Thursday 28th July to Monday, 8th August, 2022. On the other hand, the General Certificate of Education Examination started on Thursday 28th July and ended on Thursday, 11th August, 2022.
The examination scripts for the Junior Secondary School (Grade 9) External examination were marked from 15th to 20th August 2022, while the scripts for the General Certificate of Education examination were marked from 29th August to 10th September, 2022.
From the outset, I wish to commend the staff in the Ministry of Education at all levels, the Examinations Council of Zambia and the Security Wings for ensuring that the two examinations were successfully conducted. I urge you not to relent, but to continue with your good work.

2.0 2022 GRADE 9 EXTERNAL EXAMINATION RESULTS
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
Allow me now to present the Grade 9 External Examination.
2.1 A total of 143,430 candidates entered for the 2022 Grade 9 External Examination. Out of the candidates that entered, there were 65,628 boys representing 45.76 percent and 77,802 girls representing 54.24 percent;
2.2 A total of 132,508 candidates sat the examination, representing 92.39 percent of those who entered for the Examination. Out of the 132,508 who sat the examination, 60,387 were boys representing 45.57percent, while 72,121 were girls representing 54.43 percent;
2.3 On the other hand, a total of 10,922 candidates were absent from the examination, representing a national absenteeism rate was 7.61 percent. This shows an increase in absenteeism rate by 2.27 percentage points from 5.34 percent in 2021. Of the 10,922 candidates that were absent, 5,241 (47.99%) were boys and 5,681 (52.01%) were girls;
2.4 Out of the candidates that sat the examination, a total of 13,098 candidates obtained Certificates, representing 9.88 percent of candidates that sat the examination. A total of 99,831(75.34%) candidates obtained Statements while 19,579 (14.78%) failed the examination;
2.5 Performance analysis by subject revealed that the highest mean score was recorded in French at 63.89 percent, while the lowest was recorded in Religious Education at 25.53 percent;
2.6 The highest proportion of candidates that obtained a Grade one was recorded in Mathematics at 2.27 percent, while English Language had the least proportion of candidates obtaining a Grade one at 0.17 percent.
2.8 Further, English Language (63.97%) and Mathematics (51.86%) had the largest failure rates, respectively.
3.0 THE 2022 GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION (GCE) EXAMINATION RESULTS
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
I now wish to present the 2022 General Certificate of Education (GCE) examination results as follows:
3.1 A total of 157,307 candidates entered for the 2022 General Certificate of Education Examination. Of the entered candidates, there were 53,181 male candidates representing 33.81 percent and 104,126 female candidates representing 66.19 percent;
3.2 Out of the entered candidates, a total of 143,351 or 91.13 percent of candidates sat the examination. Of the 143,351 candidates who sat the examination, 47,169 (32.90%) were male, while 96,182 (67.09%) were female. Out of the 143,351 that sat the 2022 GCE examinations, a total of 20,980 candidates sat for five (5) or more subjects.

3.3 Out of the 20,980 candidates, a total 7,471 (or 35.6 %) of the 20,980 candidates that sat for five (5) or more subjects obtained General Certificate of Education, which is equivalent to the School Certificate. Further, a total of 119,232 (83.17%) candidates obtained Statement of Results, while 16,648 (11.61%) failed the examination. The national failure rate decreased from 13.66 percent in 2021 to 11.61 percent in 2022.
3.4 Meanwhile, a total of 13,956 candidates were absent from the examination, representing a national absenteeism rate of 8.87 percent. This shows an increase in absenteeism rate by 1.9 percentage points from 6.97 percent in 2021. Of the 13,956 candidates that were absent, 6,012 (43.08%) were male and 7,944 (56.92%) were female;
3.5 Analysis of performance by subject revealed that the highest mean score was recorded in Art and Design at 64.06 percent, while the lowest mean scores was in Civic Education at 21.40 percent;
4.0 EXAMINATION MALPRACTICES
4.1 I wish to report that once again; both the Junior Secondary School External examination and the General Certificate of Education examinations were conducted leakage free. I wish to commend all the stakeholders that worked tirelessly to conduct the examinations, leakage free. Special appreciation goes to security wings, the Council of the Examinations Council of Zambia and their staff, the two permanent secretaries and the entire Ministry of Education staff, Teacher Unions and Civil Society, for working together to stop prevent the leakages the occurring;
4.2 It is however disappointing to note that despite not recording any leakage of examination question papers, forty-five (45) cases of suspected individual examination malpractices and one (1) whole Centre case were reported during the conduct of the 2022 Junior Secondary (Grade 9) External examination. Further, three hundred and eighty-five (385) suspected individual and sixty-nine (69) whole Centre examination malpractice cases were reported during the conduct of the 2022 GCE examination. The cases were in form of smuggling unauthorized materials such mobile phones into the examination room, collusion, copying, impersonation and assistance;
4.3 The Examinations Council of Zambia has withheld the results for the candidates involved in all cases of suspected examination malpractice until the issues are resolved by the appropriate Committees of Council;
4.4 I wish to indicate that the Ministry of Education, working through the Teaching Council of Zambia and Teaching Service Commission, shall ensure that disciplinary action is taken and practicing licenses for all teaching and administrative staff who will be found wanting are withdrawn. Additionally, the Council shall apply the penalties as enshrined in the ECZ Act, Chapter 137 of the Laws of Zambia and the Guidelines for Administration and Management of Examinations in Zambia.
4.5 I wish to reiterate that the Government of the Republic of Zambia will not tolerate any form of examination malpractice and anyone found wanting will be dealt with in accordance with the law;
4.6 I further task all officers responsible for examinations conduct, management and administration to ensure that guidelines are followed to the letter. Standards officers should also enhance examinations monitoring to curb down all forms of examinations malpractices that erode the integrity of the assessment systems.

5.0 CLOSING
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen
5.1 As I conclude, I wish to inform the public that the results will be accessible through the SMS Result notification system, immediately after this media briefing;
5.2 candidates shall access the Statements of Results online from ECZ Portal using their examination numbers at no charge after one week from the date of release of the results;
5.3 Certificates shall be printed by the ECZ in due course for collection by deserving candidates from respective Examination Centres.

With these few remarks, I declare the 2022 Junior Secondary External and General Certificate of Education Examinations results officially released.

Thank you all for listening and May God continue to bless our nation Zambia