The O Level was never designed as a universal school-leaving qualification. In Britain, where it originated, it was intended for roughly the top 20% of pupils on the academic grammar school track. The remaining 80% followed vocational and technical pathways. Yet Zimbabwe persists with the fiction that every child... should clear an examination never meant for everyone. The predictable result is that fewer than a third “pass”, while the majority are casually branded failures. Rural industrialisation begins by abandoning this absurdity. Every province should define its own labour absorption strategy around its comparative advantages, whether agriculture, mining, fishing or manufacturing. A minority should pursue the academic route. The majority should graduate with recognised certificates of vocational or technical competence, developed and championed by industry itself. That is how productive labour is created and productive labour is how economies grow. Share your thoughtsshow more

Agree on early technical skills adoption, but O-Level is critical for reasoning & further training. UK’s GCSE equiv has a ~65% pass rate; ours is just 33%. The gap isn’t student ability—it’s chronic underfunding and lack of resources. We must boost investment, not lower the bar.

The important point is that GCSEs are not an absolute requirement for employment. Someone can leave school at 16 without GCSE passes and enter an apprenticeship or an entry-level job

In this era we can't be talking smalll scale carpenters and welders where there is no standardisation. We need to create large scale regulated and standardised manufacturing which absorbs labour with or without O levels. People generally need sustainable jobs with real pension. These mshika-shika ideas won't help

I totally disagree with due respect. We actually need to raise our O Level back to the 1980s standard at the minimum. What seems to be it's irrelevance today is the decline of quality and educational standards. Zimbabweans running corporations around the world are the product of a superior O level education as a basic standard. The model worked very well. It is not the reason for the mediocrity we see in our country today. We need well educated people. Vocational opportunities should be made accessible to those who can't make it academically.

I would even add: basic numeracy & literacy (in the vernacular, if needed) are much more important than "5 O'Levels".

Interesting discussions, but stats says different most people at collegesin Zim are rural students. Even at work places most are from rural areas even those in diaspora 😂🤣🤣🤣

I totally agree with you @baba_nyenyedzi. I live in RSA where majority of Zimbos who crossed the border dominate as self employed plumbers, electricians, builders, domestic workers and hospitality. As a country we must have focused in becoming the best in Africa for these fields.

I have a different question does Zimbabwe currently have a shortage of labour due to the education system. What I see is lack of jobs and industry to absorb that we have. People are still getting technical skills but the schools a full. What we need is a revamp of tertiary..

Education should be re written for today’s age

Why are you obsessed with passing 5 Olevels? Vocational collages in Zimbabwe do not require 5 Olevels!

Nothing good ever came from limiting access to education.We are entering the 4th industrial revolution which will be knowledge based. You are only as good as what you know. Societies that embrace education for all ensure access to social mobility and economic progression to all.

I personally don't have a problem with O'level, it must remain as a foundation for every Zimbabwean citizen. But perhaps schools need to be sensitive to student abilities early on, when they transition from J.C to O'level, and group them according to their abilities.

What happens under the China and India systems for those students who fail O Levels, vocational and technical skills? I'm just curious

50% go into academic route and 50% vocational and technical skills. The streaming is early on

@LoveMasiya Tinashe there is an element you seem not to grasp. What made China great or be the industrial hub of the world is never all you are talking about. It's the mindset. What aggregates all is the mindset than school get this baba and you understand all. It's the mindset,stup!d

@LoveMasiya But not everyone is supposed to think.

@LoveMasiya What about those who are supposed to think are they thinking??🤣🤣

@LoveMasiya lol. At least we can count you as one 😅

School work must focus on wat the child can do best from their primary level but here u get time choose when u finish O'level. Wy should my career be determined by a 2hrs 30 min exam? Everychild must get education based on their skills. One must learn till able to create a job

@MakoniMuchira Parents also need to open their eyes, this idea of forcing children who are failing to repeat numerous times sounds off. Face value it appears to have a bearing on the self confidence of the child

True..especially agriculture and mining should begin at primary level..chinese and japanese they teach at young age about technology

NO,not at all.We need as a nation,to have at least a minimum level of education where we agree that after that level,every students will and can be said to be educated.we cant allow any province or district have it's own systems,a NATIONAL grading/level system is important.

Your inclination is flawed. On the job skilling is only where jobs are present not where they are not. It's the economy, stupid! Vocational training is open to anyone in Zim but placements are absent. SA has so much placement potential than Zim.

O Levels should remain an academic pathway, not the only pathway. Zimbabwe needs respected vocational and technical routes linked to each province's industries. Real success is creating skilled, employable young people—not forcing every learner through the same exam.

Why use Britain as an example yet nearer home Smith did it. We called it bottle neck Smith called it skilling the academic poor. He had many polytechnics and vocational training centers that is why Simon Muzenda majored in carpentry.

May I respectfully submit that in this modern age going towards AI, this is misplaced. Unskilled workers will be redundant. AI is going to replace a lot of low end and even medium & high end tasks. Just an aside, are you sure in Britain it’s only the 20% still pursuing O’level?

Zimbabwe must stop treating academic passes as the only measure of ability and vocational education as a route for “failures.” But vocationalisation without industrialisation creates skills for jobs that do not exist. We need respected pathways linked to aptitude and industry.

@sharonmufaro What’s the German model? What made them successful at running small businesses?

True. That is why I think it was a grave mistake to disband the pre-independence F2 Schools where those unable to proceed with academic education were absorbed for basic technical education.

Education is about being versatile in an ever changing world 🌎. Being educated helps you to appreciate what others do and what you in turn can do to contribute to the chain of value that humanity creates . Understanding of world subjects and issues makes us more rounded people

Zimbabweans and a lot of South Africans ridicule SA 30% passs. Its logic is those who want to go to uni must pass with 65 average and above. Then 30% to 65% have options varying from diploma, NC certificates and general jobs However where I disagree is making this about urban and rural schools. Many academics and CEO of the 1980 and 1990 era came from rural schools I have few brilliant people I follow on this app who are much younger than me and are doing well professionally but they came from rural areas/schools Gov should equip schools to same standard as long as its gov school.

Damn fam. You cooked here. It’s my sincere hope that this message goes loud. It’s sad our governance spends more time in power struggle than simple visions which can be achieved in a few years…

I think it was a detour meant meant to alleviate pressure for job demands especially that time when there was no jobs in the country, since it was hit by scathing sanctions. My take.

That's a very gud one

This is a fact. There is need to revamp our education system

In my opinion this has continued to be so because of few training schools and universities in the country if they make these centres how are they going to accomodate them or the system will simple brea.

On point

This is called Do what you want with your children Don't extend it to our kids - Bullsh&t

@sharonmufaro Can try different things to find what works, i would copy the Singapore model, it worked for China..

Very important conversation that needs to be had across all African education systems