MORE A’ Level students FAIL Shona than Maths, Physics and Economics, a report commissioned by the Ministry of Education reveals.

In 2007, only 47 percent of students passed Shona, dropping to 43 percent in 2008 compared to 77 percent and 80 percent for Physics, 58 percent and 68 percent for Economics and the pass rate for Maths which was 54 percent in 2007, and 47 percent in 2008.

The startling figures are contained in an assessment report of Zimbabwe’s primary and secondary schools produced by the National Education Advisory Board, and handed out to donors in London last week by Education Minister David Coltart.

The failure rate for Shona is even more pronounced when the statistics are compared to Ndebele, which was passed by 91 percent of A’ Level students in 2007, the figure dipping slightly to 88 percent in 2008.

The July 2009 report, written by former Education Minister Fay Chung, Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Senegal Trudy Stevenson and educationist Sharayi Chakanyuka, provides no answers for the Shona failure rate – so bad only Accounting had worse statistics of 43 percent in 2007 and 32 percent in 2008.

Meanwhile in O’ Level, Integrated Science is officially the most difficult subject with only 19 percent of students passing in 2007, and 22 percent in 2008.

The report shows a steep fall in the pass rate for Maths and History between 2007 and 2008. Only 18 percent of O’ Level students passed English in 2008, down 15 percent from the 2007 pass rate of 33 percent.

The decline was worse in Maths which was passed by 48 percent of the class of 2007 but saw a sharp fall a year later to 21 percent – a difference of almost 24 percent.

The report blames an overall decline in education standards on the flight of teachers due to poor pay over the last decade and lack of government funding for schools.

“The image of the teacher was at its lowest since Independence,” the report says. “Loss of status from the pauperisation of teachers played an important part in demoralising teachers.”