Thirteen Thousand four hundred and ninety- four pupils have qualified to grade ten with full certificates in Eastern Province this year.
Eastern Province Education Officer, Allan Lingambe told Breeze News that this is out of twenty- five thousand eight hundred and sixty-three pupils who sat for grade nine examinations in the province.
This is means that twelve thousand three hundred and sixty-nine pupils have failed to make it to grade ten.
Dr. Lingambe says that although the Province has maintained a third position at National Level, the passing rate for pupils at grade ten has increased from last year’s 50 percent to 52.33 percent this year.
And Dr. Lingambe says that 34, 776 pupils have passed to grade eight out of 38,354 pupils who sat for their grade seven examinations this year in the province.
This means that 3,578 have not made it to grade eight.
He says the passing rate for pupils at grade eight has also increased from last year’s 93.07 percent to 99.53 percent this year.
Dr. Lingambe says Vubwi district has the best grade eight results in the province and is at 16th position in the country followed by Mambwe.
He however, says the challenge is with Chipata and Petauke districts where pupils have not performed well at grade seven.
Dr. Lingambe has urged the DEBS, District Education Board Secretaries in the districts to work hard and ensure that pupils improve academically.
Meanwhile the PEO says the selection process is still on going to determine which schools performed better in the Province.