The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
GATSI Government High School is one such rare school that has embraced agriculture and met with success unexpectedly.It has fared well in exploiting students’ ability to retain knowledge and skills learnt at school and use them later to offer solutions to existing problems in the community.
With prevailing impacts of climate change and food insecurities causing devastation in Zimbabwe, rural schools must emulate Gatsi Gvt High example to equip students with practical skills in crop and animal husbandry, and agricultural economics at an early age.
Its agriculture curriculum has a deliberate entrepreneurship slant and the School Development Committee (SDC) funds the provision of good facilities and resources for practical learning as a way to empower students.
It is involved in an array of horticultural projects ranging from small livestock, piggery, rabbitary, commercial maize production and has entered into a partnership with Africa University to produce over 50 varieties of cassava seed for Southern Africa.
Such knowledge and experience now provides a great opportunity for students to practically apply lessons they are learning in science, agriculture and math subjects.
In addition, the sale of the produce provides a steady source of supplementary income which helps cushion the school from shocks of non-payment of fees.
“Government grants are no longer coming and took up agriculture as a subject and exit from poverty. We have 4 500 stations of bananas, 120 rabbits, 40 pigs, and we are preparing more than 10ha for maize production under command agriculture. Africa University’s agriculture research unit has sponsored us with 300 varieties of cassava from the South of Sahara, and we have been producing cassava seed for Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). From the 50, five are recommended for Zimbabwe,” explained Gatsi Gvt High head Mr Lewis Ntuli.
“We have very good water supply and competent overhead irrigation equipment, and it is our wish to participate in the Government sponsored command agriculture. We have vast tracts of flat and fertile arable land, and given an opportunity, we will perform miracles, as all the required inputs will be at our disposal. Our major challenge has been inputs,” Mr Ntuli said.
During a good season their banana projects racks in at least $1500 per month.
The school has diversified into legumes production and was de-stocking their livestock projects and channelling proceeds toward the upkeep of the breeding stocks.
Brief school background
Gatsi Government High School, in Ward Seven, Mutasa District, was born out of the Gatsi Primary School, which had good accommodation for both teachers and pupils and running water. The school started in 1981 with 62 Form One pupils, most of whom were war collaborators and refugees hardened by their war experiences while female students were mostly mothers.
Five teachers – two primary-trained and three temporary teachers, started the secondary school with one Mr Chimutanda as head.
It moved to the former Chitombo concentration camp in January 1983 after Government with the help on international aid organisation constructed two classroom blocks and three teachers’ houses and provided textbooks and exercise books for pupils.
The thrust was on agriculture and Home Economics.
Vision: A competitive educational centre.
Mission: To provide high quality and relevant education in academics, sport and cultural activities, so as to produce a worthwhile citizen of Zimbabwe.
Income complexity within its catchment
The school draws its students from a large communal base that relies on subsistence farming, is heavily reliant on seasonal rains and most of them struggle to pay school fees, hence reliance on donors and BEAM.
Forms One to Four pay $37 while “A” levels pay $57.
“This year it is terrible because of the drought. 487 students have not completed payment of first and second terms while 561 out of 650 students have not paid third term fees,” said Mr Ntuli.
The SDC chairperson Mr Tendai Duri and his deputy Mrs Thandiwe Munetsi urged parents to enter into payment plans and offer their labour in lieu for school fees.
The school has an enrolment of 650 students, of which 352 are boys and 298 girls. Early child marriages are blamed for low enrolment of girls.
“Seven girls got married. Some are being married off for cultural and religious practices. The girl child needs protection.
The poverty levels are worrisome and in some cases they are easily lured into these relationships thinking it was a bed of roses,” said Mr Ntuli.
Gatsi Gvt High has 30 teachers who cover languages, commercials and humanities.
Its O’ Level pass rate in 2011 was 10 percent, 15 percent (2012), 18 percent in 2013, 25 percent in 2014 and 30 percent in 2015 while that for A’ Level stood at 95 percent in 2011, 85 percent in 2012, 95 percent in 2013 and 100 percent in 2014 1nd 2015, respectively.
Mr Ntuli said the availability of textbooks, under the Education Transition Fund (ETF), had a positive impact on the school’s recent swirling performance.
General State of Infrastructure
The school has 12 classrooms for 14 classes. The Home Economics and Agriculture blocks need repairs on walls and floors. Though Gatsi Gvt High was accorded A’ Level status in the 90s, it has no classrooms for A’ Level students.
The school library also needs furniture and the books are too old, hence irrelevant to modern students’ academic needs.
There is also shortage of teachers’ accommodation, with a variance of 20.
The school has one borehole situated within the school for 600 pupils, 34 members of staff and their families, the Chitombo Primary School staff, nearby clinic and business centre.
More blair toilets – 10 squat-hole for teachers, 10 squat-holes each for boys and girls.
Hand washing facilities are adequate.
The school has limited number of computers as only 10 serve the 600 students and their teachers.
Opportunities
The school is capable of transforming into a boarding school since it has vast tracts of land and favourable climate for lucrative agricultural projects.
Sports
The school offers drama, dance, visual arts, and sports like athletics, soccer, rugby, net, volley and handball. Their wushu ku-fu club performed at the education expo in Harare.
