The Botswana Examinations Council (BEC) has released the 2024 Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results, indicating a modest improvement in student performance compared to the previous year.
Highlights of the 2024 PSLE Results:
- Increased Candidature: A total of 53,044 candidates sat for the 2024 PSLE, marking a 1.5% increase from 52,266 candidates in 2023. This rise was observed in both government and private schools, while a decline was noted in Out of School Education and Training (OSET) centres.
- Grade Achievements:
- Grade A: 21.1% of candidates achieved Grade A, up from 20.3% in 2023, reflecting a 0.8% increase.
- Grade B or Better: 40.3% of candidates secured Grade B or better, a 2.2% rise from 38.1% in the previous year.
- Grade C or Better: 73.3% of candidates obtained Grade C or better, showing a 1.3% improvement from 72.0% in 2023.
- Grade D or Better: A slight decrease was noted, with 91.7% achieving Grade D or better, down from 91.9% in 2023.
- Unclassified Results: The percentage of candidates obtaining Grade E or better remained steady at 99.8%, indicating that 0.1% of candidates were unclassified, denoted by the letter “U”.
Ministerial Response and Future Targets:
Dr. Nono Kgafela-Mokoka, the Minister of Child Welfare and Basic Education, acknowledged the improvements but emphasized the need for further progress. She set a target for a 5% enhancement in overall performance for the upcoming year. The minister also highlighted challenges such as dilapidated school infrastructure, low teacher morale, long distances traveled by students, and inadequate school feeding programs. To address these issues, plans include refurbishing infrastructure, improving teacher working conditions, expanding pre-primary education, providing school transport, and revamping the feeding program to offer two nutritious meals daily.
Access to Results:
The 2024 PSLE results were made available on December 13, 2024, through various platforms:
- Online Access: Schools with internet connectivity accessed the results via the Malepa system, while individual candidates could retrieve their results through the BEC website or SMS services.
- Physical Copies: Hard copies were delivered to schools without internet connectivity, and regional offices received digital summaries.
The BEC plans to enhance digitization efforts to broaden access and reduce printing costs for future examinations.