Mathias is the first born in his family and is 22 years old. This may seem old for a pupil who has just completed his primary education but in Zambia it is not unusual. Children often go to school late or miss years due to finances or being required to work in the fields. Both Mathias’ parents are still alive and he has three sisters and four brothers. Mathias will be the first in his family, including his parents, to graduate to secondary level education.
Mathias attended Nsefu Primary for grades 1 to 6 but changed schools and attended Kapita Community School for grade 7. He attained an aggregate score of 727 in the recent Certificate of Primary Education exams. Here are his results:
Mathias Banda | Grade 7 | |
Marks | Grade | |
English | 120 | 1 |
Social Studies | 119 | 1 |
Mathematics | 117 | 1 |
Science | 118 | 1 |
Zambian Language | 135 | 1 |
Special Paper I | 123 | 1 |
Special paper II | 108 | 2 |
Creative and Technology Studies | 122 | 1 |
Total Marks | 962 | |
Composite Score | 727 |
He has been offered a place at Mambwe Boarding Secondary School for is junior secondary education in grades 8 and 9. Mathias will have to board at Mambwe as it is over 60 kilometres from his home village.
You can get an idea of which subjects the pupil likes or is good at by looking at his or her marks. English and mathematics are obvious but you might like an explanation of the other subjects. Social and Development Studies is all about geography, history and civics. Zambian Language is the study of one of the many languages used in Zambia; in this area it is Chinyanja. Creative and Technology Studies is a mix or practical subjects such as arts and crafts. The marks may also indicate the type person, especially when it comes to the Special Papers; Special Paper 1 is a simple and basic IQ test based on English and Maths logic and Special Paper 2 is a basic visual IQ test based on patterns.