The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which demotivated teachers contribute to the poor O-level pass rate. The researcher was alarmed by the failure rate recorded in the daily newspaper. The Herald of 6 February 2013 highlighted that the poor academic performance of the pupils was blamed on the teachers. In a bid to ascertain this claim the researcher carried out the study to establish its authenticity. A descriptive survey was used as the research design. For triangulation purpose the data was collected through interviews, questionnaires and document analysis, focusing on six secondary schools in Harare. Interviews were conducted to school heads and twenty parents while the questionnaires were administered to twenty teachers. Document analysis of 'O' level results was done to ascertain the pass rate in schools. The results of the study have shown that most schools recorded low pass rate. Some teachers outlined that due to economic hardship they are resorting to some extra jobs in a bid to supplement their income which compromised the teaching and learning. However, they also shifted the blame to the parents whom they accused of not assisting their children with homework. They pointed out that parents are not fully supporting their children by giving them the resources to enhance effective learning. The paper makes a significant contribution to the field of education in that it brings to light the grievances from the teachers and parents. This has implications for policy makers who should address the plight of teachers in ways that enable them to maintain the dignity of their profession. It also enhances the teachers to execute their duties meticulously in order to improve the pass rate in schools.
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