‘Mantoetse Maama

MASERU — The first candidates for the new Lesotho General Certificate of Secondary Education (LGCSE) will sit for the examination in 2014 following the phasing out of Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC).

The registrar of Examinations Council of Lesotho (ECOL), Litšabako Ntoi said some of the subjects for the new qualification are already being taught in Form D since the beginning of this year.

“The subjects that are already being taught in Form D are Mathematics, English Language, Physical Science, Geography, History and Development Studies.

“Syllabuses, sample marking memos, sample question papers as well as live question papers for 2014 were developed in 2012,” Ntoi said.

The new qualification is a non-group examination hence the grading system will change from A1, A2, B3…U to A*, A, B, C, D . . . G.

“LGCSE is a non-group examination therefore there will be no First, Second and Third class passes. It is a non-pass or fail examination,” she said.

She said English will no longer be a passing subject.

“Institutions of higher learning need to review their entry requirements so that they are in line with the new qualification,” she said.

There will be subjects that will be introduced to the school system for the first time including Economics, Business Studies, ICT and Travel Tourism.

“Ten schools that are located near tourism destinations will be the first to do the Travel Tourism subject,” she said.