The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
KEEPING the girl child in class is a major challenge confronting most rural schools but St James Zongoro has vowed to confront the evil in a bid to cushion them from the twin evil of teen pregnancies and marriages.
While the country has taken a stance to prioritise the education of the girl child, the chasm widens at secondary as more girls fall into the trappings of early child marriages, a vice that impedes their sexual reproductive health, growth and chances of attaining full potential.
Statistics from the Mutasa district school shows worrying drop out statistics among girls.
The trend started in 2011 when six girls dropped out and doubled to 12 in 2012 15 in 2013, 12 in 2014 and 15 in 2015. This is the battle that the school is fighting to eradicate.
St James Zongoro head Mr Samuel Makichini said many young girls from the school are getting married at a tender age to escape poverty while others are forced by their families on religious and cultural reasons.
Mr Makichini decried the fact that the girl child is often misconstrued as a source of income rather than a family member.
He said early marriages often subject the girls to acute poverty and health challenges.
Yet educating girls helps to make communities healthier, wealthier and safer, and can also help to reduce child deaths, improve maternal health and tackle the spread of HIV and AIDS.
It’s only through education that girls and women can claim other rights and achieve status in society.
“It is painful that our girls are prematurely married before they complete secondary education. This is a serious issue that the school and the community should tackle through regular campaigns for a paradigm shift. You cannot ignore this evil, and the sooner community move away from a culture that sees the girl more as source of income than a family member the better,” said Mr Makichini.
“In some cases our girls are enticed with money from illegal miners and the end result is painful.
“Two wrongs do not make a right, yet we have several cases were girls who fall pregnant, instead of being given a second chance, are chased and forced into eloping some old men,” said Mr Makichini.
St James Zongoro is owned by the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland.
It has an enrolment of 475 students; 275 girls and 200 boys.
“Those (girls) at school should be more, and for as long as they are not where they should be, we have every right to be worry and take up the fight against this vice,” he said.
Fees are pegged at $60 for Forms One to Four and $80 for A Level and the school offers a wider curriculum that encompasses a number of Tech Voc subjects such as Fashion and Fabrics, Building Studies, Agriculture and Computer Studies; languages, commercials, sciences and humanities.
The school has 29 teachers.
Vision
Quality school for quality secondary education at St James Zongoro High.
Mission
To provide high quality education through efficient of human and material resources in order to ensure effective and efficient implementation of the intended curriculum.
Values
Teamwork, honesty, integrity and dedication.
Fees Challenge
The school is owed thousands of dollars in debts, a feat that has had a serious impact on its development initiatives and availability of learning material. The majority of parents do not pay fees and enter into payment plans that they do not honour.
Academic Performance
The provision learning resources under the Education Transition Fund (ETF) had a tremendous impact on the performance at St James Zongoro, of Mutasa – jump starting their school pass rate from 10 in 2011 to 23 percent in 2015.
A’ Level pass rate fluctuates between 65 and 100 percent. The 2015 pass rate was 75 percent.
The school has set its target at attaining a 45 percent O level pass rate by 2017 despite weak Form One enrolment.
Sports
St James Zongoro has students exceptionally talented in athletics, soccer, netball, volleyball and handball. However, they hardly reach full potential due to lack of resources and exposure.
Immediate past successes
◆ Completion of computer laboratory and teachers’ house
◆ A piggery project compatible with a biogas digester
◆ Quail birds project (500 birds)
◆ Establishment of an orchard with 164 fruit trees
◆ 20 beehives
School needs
◆ School truck
◆ A’ Level science complex
◆ A borehole and water tanks
◆ School hall
◆ Classroom blocks
◆ Fencing the school yard
◆ Weather station
◆ 30 padded chairs for teachers
◆ 100 student chairs
◆ 100 single desks
