The ManicaPost
Morris Mtisi Post Correspondent
THE recent Form 2 Public Examination 2017 ASA Merit Award ceremony held at St Anne’s-Goto left doubting Thomases sure why Anglican schools are best performers in ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level final examinations countrywide.
You talk about the indomitable St Faith’s High School, St David’s Bonda, the legendary Tsambe on top of a sacred hill, St Mary’s Magdeline; they are all big names in academic performance. They are bastions of academic excellence and centres of academic equilibrium. You do not have your child at one of these celebrated schools and he or she receives second best education. The secret is now open.
These Anglican schools have a small in-built ‘ZIMSEC’ in their school system; a little ‘ZIMSEC’ which does not leak examination papers. At Form 2 level all their students sit a public schools association examination much like the old ZJC examination abandoned by Government a few years into majority rule in the mid 80s.
The Anglican schools continued with the ZJC examination seemingly realising it was an excellent way of preparing pupils for higher levels of education; a perfect idea and policy regrettably proffered by colonial masters. Anglicans took it up. Today it is working miracles for them.
Forty six Form 2 Anglican students from various Anglican schools, both big and small, recently attended a colourful merit award ceremony in which the best of tomorrow were on the occasion tasting public glory and fame born out of hard work.
The Merit Award Ceremony attracted best performers from the host St Anne’s–Goto, St Faith’s, St David’s Bonda, Tsambe and St Mary Magdeline. Even the humbler or little-known brother or sister schools shared the awards with the best of them; the likes of St James Zongoro, Samaringa High, St Weiburgs and St Peters Mandeya. A perfect lesson of big brother or sister looking after and being brother or sister’s keeper was learnt here.
Wedza District Schools Inspector was represented at the ceremony by Mr Charles Farai Murerwa as guest speaker. Murerwa praised the idea of awards at this early stage of education but lamented the absence of awards in non-examinable areas of achievement like music, singing, drama and dancing. “Not all learners are academically gifted,” he said. “Those who excel in other areas in the school curriculum also need and deserve awards for outstanding achievement.”
St Anne’s Goto school head Stanley Runyowa, Reverend Sydney Chirombe- Head-St Augustine’s, also Head-in-Charge of ASA ZJC examinations, Education Commissioner Mrs Machisa and Diocesan Education Secretary Mr Mandiringa, spoke one after the other of how this examination is correctly gearing Anglican students for challenges of hard work and seriousness of purpose ahead.
MARABOWA VINCENT of St Faith’s High School publicly proved why the best performers are made at Fisco. He scooped six awards and pleasantly bored everyone by going up the stage to receive the best, second and third best awards half a dozen times. He was the best out of all the schools in History with a 96 percent; Accounts 95 percent, General Science-92 percent. All the other awards came not under the 80 percent mark.
Flanking their igwee and not to be outdone were other St Faith’s award winners; Munjoma Tonderai best in English with 85 percent, seconded by Pasipachaona Bothwell with79 percent, Taderera Blessing, best in Geogarphy with 87 percent, Musekiwa Kundai (Win) on number two in a tie with Bonda’s Mangwende Tadiwa, Madziva Miriam and Makhuza Takudzwa. Theirs was a family affair-all from St Faith’s.
St David’s Bonda exhibited no-nonsense girls who do not care about who wear trousers in the school: Charangwa Leane-best in Shona and Baranyanga Benjamina third best, Chikwangwani Tinotenda dismissed all the boys and girls taking number one in Mathematics.
Go girl, goo! St Augustines-Tsambe featured Taanarwo Tungamirai, Ngwende Tinashe, Ngwerume Courtney and Chipanga Munashe. St Mary Magdeline had Moya Munyaradzi, Makombe Blessing, Nyazenga Munashe.
What do you say about dark horses Zongoro, a day school, with Muchirahondo Tafadzwa winning special awards in Geography with 73 percent and 86 percent in General Science and Tumbare Talent with 62 percent in English? Brilliant performance at a day school! Well done Zongoro! Not to be outdone was also St Peter’s Mandeya, down in Honde Valley behind the sticks, featuring Njamasi Jabulile with 83 percent in RME and a special award, 79 percent in Shona-another special award, 46 percent in Accounts-a third special award! What lesson is learnt here? No student has an excuse not to do his or her best…! It is not where you are coming from that matters but indeed where you are going.
The host school St Anne’s–Goto exhibited Phiri Dionnie with 94 percent in History (second best) and Mudangi Ronald, number three with 92 percent in the same learning area and a phenomenal 83 percent in “Command’ Agriculture! Wonderful performance!
This great story of a working ZJC examination plus much more hard work and determination to be the best thereafter put the last stitch on the mouths of doubting and talking Thomases how Anglican schools do it. Learning is a process. Hard work begins at the bottom. When the top comes, stage is set for fireworks. The head of The Anglican Diocese of Manicaland The Right Reverend Bishop Eric Ruwona who arrived just before the end of the ceremony was on time to give award winners a guiding and counselling speech. Citing his own life history and background the man of God said there was no excuse for under-performance.
“Poverty and all forms of under-privilege are not excuses to accept failure in life. You can all do your best wherever you are under whatever circumstances,” the Bishop said. End of the Merit Awards:
This reporter called Moses Mukoyi of St Faith’s High School as he was writing this story enquiring about the just released Form 4 results. “Morris, I want you to find me a school in Zimbabwe…with 121 candidates with 5As and above out of 143; let alone those with 14, 15, 16 to 18 As! I would like to head that school. Because that is where I belong,” boasted Moses in the familiar pleasant vanquisher’s laughter. I love Mukoyi’s serious jokes. He always leaves you with no doubt his effort is inimitable and his school indomitable.
Enjoy the generous splash of pictures from the 2017 ASA Form 2 Merit Awards held at St Anne’s Goto on 17 February 2018. Well done Anglican Schools!
