Samuel Kadungure Senior Reporter ST David’s Girls High (Bonda) – has added an extra ‘girl’ within its rank after taking delivery of the latest Yutong luxury bus on the market that will give its female students the priviledge to travel in luxury and on time. The 67-seater luxury bus was imported from China for $110 000. Bonda head, Mr Caston Chitsidzo Samanga, who has been at the nerve centre of the school’s transformation, was ecstatic about the delivery, saying the quality and arrival of the bus would ensure the sustenance of the high academic standards that symbolise the school. It took them three years to achieve the goal. Mr Samanga said this was one way by the school to encourage its children to keep learning, adding that the school would continue investing resources into making learning available and easier to anyone who desires it. “The dream for a new or second bus was nursed in 2013 when the cost of repairing the old (AVM 825) bus became high. The girls loved their only bus, but here and there they complained about the leaking roof and torn seats. I announced that we needed a better bus, but without really thinking of when resources could come from to achieve such a mammoth goal. There was more talk in 2014 and real efforts were made in 2015, but still there was no bus. On December 24, 2015, a day before Christmas, the classy Yutong ZK 6120DI was brought to the school, bringing the almost three-year dream into reality,” said an elated Mr Samanga. “A big school like Bonda is involved in many educational and sporting trips that require an efficient and luxurious machine given how delicate it is to travel with girls around the country. The process of bringing this bus was not a stroll in the park, it was an uphill task. A lot has happened, but I am a proud man as I stand here because Bonda now has a reliable bus. You all know how delicate girls are. We cannot afford to have a breakdown with the girls on board. With this new machine, no place is too far from Bonda. Our girls can ride and share knowledge with other schools and to refresh. I am sure wherever we go with this bus, heads will turn. So our behaviour and performance as a school are in the spotlight again. Let us behave and perform to the best of our ability,” he added to the wild applause from the students. Bonda has an enrolment in excess of 1 000 girls. The purchase of the bus is not only a show of affluence, but a commitment made by parents and staff to ensure that the school attain the best academically. One may wonder how a bus can improve the pass rate at a school. A lot of school children in rural settings have to walk long distances to attend sporting activities, seminars and other scholarly activities. This usually leaves children drained and with very little time and energy on return to concentrate and focus on their academic work. In some cases, the rural students end up forfeiting such activities, leaving them with a poverty of exposure. A bus gives the school children the priviledge to travel in luxury, on time and be exposed to finer activities and moments in life which will motivate them to achieve in life. Bonda has also experienced a positive metamorphosis in terms of infrastructure development and assets acquisition. Bonda, which regained its sparkle in 2013 after effectively demystifying the twin-evils of church-related and parental politics and student indiscipline, has challenged its students to beat its 2014 O-and A-Levels records. Bonda was among the schools that attained 100 percent pass rates, ranking 11th nationally and the third best A-Level school in Manicaland. At O-Level, the Anglican-run school was fifth nationally and third at provincial level with 96, 84 percent pass rate. The school had 189 candidates and 108 had at least five As, which is the best, qualitatively. The school’s highest passes were in Geography (128As), History (113As), Shona (86As), Mathematics (64As), Integrated Science (91As), Religious Studies (64As), English Literature (68As), Physics (50As), Accounts (103As), Biology (55As) and Agriculture (42As). Mr Samanga thanked parents for their selfless commitment to supporting their children and the school developmental projects and programmes. “With the proper education they will be able to secure a better job, thus putting them on the path to future success. So it is the responsibility of every parent to invest in the education of their children. “Due to this great support, Bonda has sprung in leaps and bounces in various projects. The board, SDC and responsible authority have in the past two years been highly assistive in supporting learning programmes through the resource mobilisation purposed at promoting the objects of learning and teaching. They have through various interventions raised the morale of staff that in turn has performed excellently. The quality, efficiency and effectiveness of our staff are reflected by and through their results and products respectively,” said Mr Samanga, adding that their operations were guided by a clear five-year development plan that has set high and challenging levels of expectations among pupils, staff, parents and administrators.