Zimbabwe Education Ministry Blames Covid Lockdowns For Decline in Examination Pass Rate
Zimbabwe’s Education Ministry has attributed the 6.8% pass rate decline in the country’s Schools Examination Council (ZIMSEC) Ordinary Level results to the devastating effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Spokesperson in the ministry, Taungana Ndoro told Zimbabwe media that the pandemic induced lockdown had seen a significant decline in the Ordinary Level pass rate due to reduced face-to-face teaching.
Schools were forced to introduce on-line teaching, but this was not practical in some schools especially government learning centres due to the unavailability of ICT gadgets, learning materials and high data costs.
Ndoro added that the pandemic also brought about unforeseen consequences that affected the students’ interests in learning and the education sector as well.
However, the Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) said the decline in the 2020 results showed the depreciation in learning standards in education.
The Union said statistics show a decline of 11% on total number of candidates who sat for the examinations, adding that the numbers can only be attributed to some learners who either failed to register or sit for examinations and that enrolment statistics never dropped.
ARTUZ said in a statement that the poor pass rates across the nation are direct attributes of poor investment into the education sector amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Union said it is shocking the deficit in the education system has been turned into a blame game by the orchestrators of the prevailing crises in the education sector.
An Ordinary Level student told news men that online learning had seriously affected their academic performance due to lack of resources to attend the virtual lessons.
Another student attributed the decline in students’ academic performances to lack of confidence in e-learning, adding it was not a conducive method of learning some subjects, especially practical lessons.
He said “Some of the topics, especially practical ones, are not suitable for online learning. They were hard for me to grasp and understand over the computer and I didn’t feel confident during exam time.”
However, Ndoro said the Education Ministry had since adjusted to the environment induced by the Covid-19 pandemic by putting in place blended teaching methods which he said, included catch up strategies and the distribution of self-study guides for pupils with no online learning facilities.
According to ZIMSEC, there was a decline in the Grade Seven examination pass rate from 46.9% to 37.11% reporting a 9.79% decrease.
There was also a decrease in the Advanced Level pass rate by 2.1% with 2019 recording 83.1% and in 2020, a reduction to 81%.
Remnants of China’s Largest Rocket Plunges Into Indian Ocean
Remnants of China’s largest rocket have plummeted back to Earth, plunging into the Indian ocean near the Maldives, according to Chinese state media, ending days of speculation over where the debris would hit.
Most of the debris burned up in the atmosphere, it reported, citing the Chinese Manned Space Engineering office.
Parts of the 30-metre core of the Long March 5B rocket re-entered the atmosphere at 10.24am Beijing time (2.24am GMT) and landed at a location with the coordinates of longitude 72.47 degrees east and latitude 2.65 degrees north, state media cited the office as saying.
NASA was critical of China’s lack of transparency over the rocket’s re-entry, saying spacefaring nations had a duty to minimise the risks to people and property on Earth.
“It is clear that China is failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris,” said Nasa administrator Bill Nelson, a former senator and astronaut who was picked for the role in March.
“It is critical that China and all spacefaring nations and commercial entities act responsibly and transparently in space to ensure the safety, stability, security, and long-term sustainability of outer space activities.”
The US Space command confirmed the re-entry into the atmosphere of the rocket over the Arabian peninsula, but said it was unknown if the debris had hit land or water. “The exact location of the impact and the span of debris, both of which are unknown at this time, will not be released by US Space Command,” it said in a statement.
Space watchers around the world have been anticipating the arrival of the Long March 5B space rocket since it started to lose altitude last week amid concerns it was out of control.
It is one of the largest pieces of space debris to return to Earth and prompted the White House to call for “responsible space behaviours”.
China’s failure to issue strong safety reassurances in the run-up to the re-entry fuelled anxiety.
Scottish National Party Wins 4th Term Just Short Of Overall Majority
The Scottish National Party on Saturday won a fourth term in the devolved parliament but fell short of the outright majority it was seeking to push for a fresh independence referendum.
The SNP led by Nicola Sturgeon won 64 seats in the 129-seat parliament in Thursday’s vote, while it needed 65 seats to form a majority government.
Neymar Extends PSG Contract To 2025
Neymar has agreed a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain until 2025, the reigning French champions announced on Saturday.
The Brazilian has claimed three Ligue 1 titles with the Parisians since arriving in 2017 from Barcelona for 222 million euros ($270 million) in what remains the most expensive transfer in history.
“I’m really pleased to continue my adventure at Paris Saint-Germain,” the 29-year-old said in a club statement.
“I’m very happy in Paris, and proud to be part of this squad, to work with these players, a great coach and to be part of the history of this club.”
There has frequently been speculation in Spain that Barcelona wanted to re-sign him, but Neymar’s decision to prolong his deal in the French capital is not a surprise as he has looked increasingly settled at PSG since last season when he helped the club reach the Champions League final.
Lebanon Stops 51 Syrians From Crossing To Cyprus By Sea
Lebanese police said Saturday they had thwarted an attempt to smuggle 51 Syrians to neighbouring Cyprus, weeks after the army foiled a similar operation.
“On May 4th 2021, the Internal Security Force’s information branch stopped 51 Syrian nationals, including 39 men, five women and seven minors, who were heading to Cyprus by sea,” said a police statement.
It said they were stopped while waiting along Lebanon’s northern coast after paying a smuggler $2,500 each for the trip.
Lebanon, home to more than six million people, is just 160 kilometres (100 miles) from Cyprus.
As well as hosting more than one million refugees from war-torn neighbouring Syria, Lebanon is grappling with its most severe economic crisis since its own 1975-1990 civil war.
Tens of thousands of people, including Syrian and Palestinian refugees, have lost their jobs or seen their income slashed amid sharp inflation since 2019.
That has pushed many to attempt illicit sea crossings to European Union member Cyprus in recent months.
Nicosia last summer sent a team to Beirut to help authorities stop migrants from fleeing, after several boats arrived from the northern Lebanese coast carrying Syrian, Palestinian and Lebanese nationals.
The latest smuggling attempt comes weeks after the army said it had stopped 69 Syrians in the northern region of Akkar and arrested the smuggler who was planning to take them to Cyprus.
In March, Europe’s top human rights body urged Cyprus to investigate allegations of ill-treatment of migrants arriving by boat from Lebanon last September.
The Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner Dunja Mijatovic cited reports that “boats carrying migrants, including persons who may be in need of international protection, have been prevented from disembarking in Cyprus, and summarily returned, sometimes violently.”
Nicosia insists it respected the law.
Congo President Visits Sudan For Talks On Nile Dam
The new chair of the African Union arrived in Sudan on Saturday for talks over Ethiopia’s controversial Nile dam, state media reported.
The one-day visit by Felix Tshisekedi, president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, came as Sudan and Egypt push Ethiopia for a binding deal over the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance dam.
Ethiopia says the electricity the structure will generate is important to its development, but downstream Egypt and Sudan fear for their own dams and vital water supplies.
Last month, the DRC hosted negotiations between the three countries but the talks ended without a deal.
Tshisekedi met Saturday with Sudan’s head of state Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, prime minister Abdalla Hamdok, and foreign minister Mariam al-Mahdi.
“Talks mainly focused on differences between upstream and downstream countries over the Renaissance dam,” the agency reported.
During the talks, Mahdi voiced “strong rejection of unilateral steps” by Ethiopia, which began filling the dam’s reservoir last year.
Addis Ababa has said it will proceed with further filling this year regardless of whether a deal is reached.
Cairo views the dam as an existential threat, while Khartoum fears its own dams could be harmed without a deal.
Also on Saturday, US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman held talks with top Sudanese officials over the GERD as well as Sudan-Ethiopia border tensions.
Feltman underscored “the importance of leading the negotiations under the umbrella of the African Union with the involvement of the international community,” Sudan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Relations between the two countries have soured in recent month over Al-Fashaqa, a fertile border region where Ethiopian farmers have long cultivated land claimed by Sudan.
The two sides have traded accusations of violence and territorial violations in the area.
Tshisekedi took up the rotating presidency of the AU in February after a one-year stint by South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa.
Tennis: 6th Seed Zverev To Play Berrettini In Madrid Open final
Alexander Zverev produced an impressive display to beat Dominic Thiem in straight sets on Saturday and book his spot in the Madrid Open final, where he will face Matteo Berrettini.
Sixth seed Zverev, who stunned five-time champion Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals on Friday, saw off Thiem 6-3, 6-4 in a repeat of the 2018 final, which was also won by the German.
“It is going to mean a lot to me (if I can win the final) I am definitely looking forward to it,” said the 24-year-old Zverev, bidding to win the title without dropping a set, as he did three years ago.
Thiem threatened a late fightback after trailing 4-1 in the second set, but had too much to do to reach a third Madrid final.
The Austrian third seed will now turn his attentions to Rome next week and then the French Open which starts later this month, where he is also a two-time runner-up.
The tournament has seen a welcome return to form for world number six Zverev, who had won only two matches in his previous three events since lifting the Acapulco title in March.
It was Zverev and Thiem’s first meeting since the latter’s dramatic triumph in the 2020 US Open final, when he came back from two sets down to win in a deciding-set tie-break.
“We have had some fantastic matches,” added Zverev, who still trails Thiem in their head-to-head 8-3. “We have played the biggest matches in the world.
“We have played Masters 1000 finals, we have played Grand Slam finals and (the rivalry) is still developing.
“It is still going to go on for a few more years. Hopefully we will play a few more amazing matches.”
Zverev started strongly at the Caja Magica, saving a break point to lead 2-1 before breaking in the following game at the fourth opportunity.
He only dropped three more points on serve as he comfortably closed out the opening set, before piling the pressure on Thiem early in the second.
Thiem, the world number four, lost his serve twice in the first five games to put Zverev on the brink of victory.
He managed to get one of the breaks back and then held serve in a marathon game to cut the deficit to 4-3.
But Zverev was not to be denied and a perfectly-timed ace kept him ahead before he secured a final spot on his second match point.
Berrettini, who is ranked 10th in the world, defeated Ruud 6-4, 6-4 to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final.
Zverev will be favourite in Sunday’s final but Berrettini claimed the Serbia Open title in Belgrade last month and has won 16 of his 19 matches this year.
Berrettini also won his last match on clay against Zverev in Rome in 2019, although the German came out on top in their most recent meeting on hard in Shanghai, winning in straight sets.
The 22-year-old Ruud made it to the semi-finals in Monte Carlo last month but two breaks, one in each set, was enough for Berrettini to seal victory over the Norwegian in an hour and 21 minutes.
Sadiq Khan Re-elected As London Mayor, Defeats Bailey
Sadiq Khan won re-election for a second term as London mayor on Saturday, beating Conservative rival Shaun Bailey.
Khan, first elected in 2016, won with just over 1.2 million votes in a closer than anticipated victory over Bailey, who gained 977,601 votes in Thursday’s poll.
Chelsea Puts Man City Premier League Title Win On Hold
Chelsea forced Manchester City to put their Premier League title party on hold on Saturday, winning 2-1 to strengthen their grip on a top-four place as Liverpool kept their Champions League qualification hopes alive.
Victory for City in a rehearsal for the Champions League final would have confirmed them as English champions for the third time in four years but they must wait for their inevitable coronation.
Hundreds of City fans had gathered outside the empty Etihad Stadium hoping to spur their team on to victory.
As supporters spilled into the road and blue flares were lit, the coaches carrying the players needed to slow down to get through the crowds as they made their way to the ground.
Pep Guardiola’s men were on the right track when Raheem Sterling gave them the lead but Hakim Ziyech levelled in the second half and Marcos Alonso grabbed the winner in the dying seconds.
Sergio Aguero could have made his side’s task much easier on the stroke of half-time but saw his casual Panenka spot-kick easily saved by Edouard Mendy, with Guardiola turning away in frustration.
The win lifts the Londoners into third spot above Leicester and six points clear of fifth-placed West Ham with just three games left for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Outgoing champions Liverpool beat Southampton 2-0 in the late kick-off to stay in the mix for the top four but a 3-1 defeat at Leeds was a hammer blow for managerless Tottenham.
Guardiola was frustrated at the manner of his side’s defeat — just their fifth loss of the season — but they have a huge 13-point lead over second-placed Manchester United.
“We missed our chance in the last minute of the first half for the penalty, but we were in a good position,” he told Sky Sports.
“We conceded a goal, suffered for 15 minutes, then reacted well, but in the end they scored.”
On the missed spot-kick, Guardiola said: “I have always said to him (Aguero), take one decision and take it full convincing, so he decided to do it this way. I have nothing to add.”
- Chelsea threat –
Tuchel’s in-form team ended City’s dreams of a historic quadruple by beating them in the FA Cup semi-final last month and they once again proved tricky opponents.
Guardiola made nine changes from the side that saw off Paris Saint-Germain in midweek while Chelsea made five changes following their triumph over Real Madrid.
Sterling broke the deadlock shortly before half-time, tucking home after a poor touch from Aguero following a pass from Gabriel Jesus.
City should have gone into the break two goals in front after Jesus won a spot-kick when he was bundled over by Billy Gilmour but Argentine striker Aguero squandered the chance.
As the second half wore on the visitors started to establish a foothold and they equalised just after the hour mark when Cesar Azpilicueta picked out Ziyech, who drilled home from the edge of the area.
The finish was frantic. Chelsea substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside before Sterling had a penalty appeal turned down.
Alonso slotted home the winner in stoppage time after Timo Werner pulled the ball back to complete the turnaround but City could be crowned champions as early as Sunday, if Aston Villa beat United.
Tuchel admitted the match would have had a different complexion if Aguero had converted from the spot.
“If they score the penalty maybe it is over before it starts — at 2-0 you have no chance to come back,” the Chelsea boss said.
“I was impressed by the reaction and the performance in the second half. If you want to steal all three points here after being down, you need a bit of luck, decisions from the referee.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was delighted to see his team back to winning ways following two costly draws, with Sadio Mane and Thiago Alcantara both finding the net at Anfield.
Speaking about his side being in the race for the top four, he told the BBC: “We are, kind of. It’s not impossible but it’s difficult. We will give it a try and see where we get to.”
Earlier, Crystal Palace beat already relegated Sheffield United 2-0.
Chinese Rocket To Tumble Back To Earth In Uncontrolled Re-entry
A large segment of a Chinese rocket is expected to make an uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere early Sunday, but Beijing has downplayed fears of damage on the ground and said the risk is very low.
A Long March-5B rocket launched the first module of China’s new space station into Earth’s orbit on April 29.
Its 18-tonne main segment is now in freefall and experts have said it is difficult to say precisely where and when it will re-enter the atmosphere.
Space-Track, using US military data, tweeted that the window for re-entry is now predicted to be 0104-0304 GMT Sunday, but cautioned that the uncertainty about the timing made the location difficult to pinpoint.
The US Space Force’s 18th Space Control Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California “will not know the precise location until AFTER” the rocket has landed, Space-Track said.
Chinese authorities have said most of the rocket components will likely be destroyed as it descends.
“The probability of causing harm… on the ground is extremely low,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters on Friday.
Although there has been fevered speculation over exactly where the rocket — or parts of it — will land, there is a good chance any debris that does not burn up will just splash down into the ocean, given that the planet is 70 percent water.
“We’re hopeful that it will land in a place where it won’t harm anyone,” said Pentagon spokesman Mike Howard.
Howard said the United States was tracking the rocket segment but “its exact entry point into the Earth’s atmosphere cannot be pinpointed until within hours of its re-entry”.
Harvard-based astronomer Jonathan McDowell tweeted on Saturday: “New 18SPCS Space Force prediction narrows things down to one orbit: Costa Rica, Haiti, Iberia, Sardinia, Italy, Greece and Crete, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Australia, New Zealand.”
- No need for ‘too much’ worry –
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has said the US military has no plans to shoot the rocket segment down, but suggested that China had been negligent in letting it fall out of orbit.
“Given the size of the object, there will necessarily be big pieces left over,” said Florent Delefie, an astronomer at the Paris-PSL Observatory.
“The chances of debris landing on an inhabited zone are tiny, probably one in a million.”
Last year, debris from another Long March rocket fell on villages in the Ivory Coast, causing structural damage but no injuries or deaths.
McDowell said that although there was no need to worry “too much”, the rocket’s design needed a re-think to stop such a scenario happening again.
“There is a real chance of damage to whatever it hits and the outside chance of a casualty,” he said.
“Having a ton of metal shards flying into the Earth at hundreds of kilometres per hour is not good practice, and China should redesign the Long-March 5B missions to avoid this.”
