A total of 2,629 out of 46,308 pupils who sat for the 2010 Standard Seven national examination in Morogoro Region in September scored zero in mathematics, it has been revealed.

Some 33 of the 774 schools that had candidates in the exam did not have a single pupil who passed the subject.

This was revealed here recently by the acting regional education officer, Ms Meryrose Lyimo, when releasing a report on the examination results.

She said 746 pupils - 354 and boys and 392 girls - scored zero in mathematics in Kilosa District, the worst record in the region.

It is followed by Morogoro Rural District where 680 pupils - 369 boys and 311 girls - got zero.

Mvomero District had 544 pupils who scored zero in the subject, followed by Kilombero (395), Ulanga (170) and Morogoro Urban (94).

Ms Lyimo said most of the schools that did not have any pupil who passed the subject were located in hilly areas, and faced an acute shortage of teachers.

She asked respective district councils to find ways of improving performance such as motivating teachers.

"They can come up with arrangements that will see teachers in their areas get some motivation that would encourage them to stay in the areas, which have few teachers," she said.