Online ReporterGabriel Manyeruke
In one of our recent staff development workshops, a presenter posed what at first seemed to be an ordinary sporting question: “Which country has won the most FIFA World Cups?”
ALMOST instantly, confident voices echoed across the room: “Brazil!”
The presenter paused briefly before asking a second question that transformed the discussion into a profound lesson on leadership and development: “If we were to bring Brazil’s successful coaches — perhaps someone like current gaffer Carlo Ancelotti — to lead the Zimbabwe national football team, would Zimbabwe automatically become World Cup champions?”
The room fell into thoughtful silence.
Teachers argued passionately that success is never built on individuals alone but on systems and cultures deliberately nurtured over time.
Brazil’s football dominance, they opined, is sustained by grassroots development, investment, infrastructure, youth academies, culture and long-term planning. Even the finest coach would struggle without structures and trusted systems capable of supporting excellence.
As the discussion unfolded, I found myself reflecting beyond football and into the realities of Zimbabwe’s education sector.
In that moment, I realised that strong, well-established systems are the foundation upon which teacher empowerment and institutional excellence are built.
A benchmark of quality
In Zimbabwe’s education landscape, the Association of Trust Schools (ATS) has distinguished itself through systems that consistently produce academic excellence while simultaneously nurturing sport and culture.
Their strength lies not merely in examination results but in the environment they cultivate for teachers.
Flexible working conditions, staff retention strategies, opportunities for professional growth and respect for educators have enabled these institutions to build enduring brands admired across the country.
Their success demonstrates that empowered teachers are central to sustainable excellence.
Private schools today employ thousands of teachers and complement Government efforts in expanding access to education.
They remain indispensable partners in national development. While ATS schools have established a strong benchmark, the situation within many emerging privately owned schools outside the ATS framework presents a more complex reality.
Some institutions thrive through professionalism and visionary leadership, while others have increasingly reduced education to a commercial enterprise.
In certain non-ATS private schools, teachers endure exploitative conditions marked by low salaries, unfulfilled promises, excessive micromanagement and toxic work cultures.
Learners are sometimes viewed primarily as sources of revenue, while the welfare of teachers — the very ambassadors of the institution — is neglected.
Predictably, such environments breed frustration, mistrust, declining morale and high staff turnover.
Some once-respected schools have consequently deteriorated into shadows of their former selves because poor systems inevitably weaken institutions. The reality is simple: Teachers shape the reputation of schools.
When educators feel appreciated, trusted and respected, they commit themselves wholeheartedly to the growth of their institutions.
Many teachers do not serve for financial reward alone; they teach out of passion, patriotism and a desire to mould future generations.
However, even the most dedicated professionals cannot flourish within systems that suffocate creativity and undermine dignity.
In systems where fault-finding and micromanagement dominate daily life, educators teach merely to survive, stripped of the independence that fosters creativity and individuality.
As Steve Jobs once observed, “You cannot hire smart professionals and then tell them what to do.”
Schools that trust their teachers and create room for innovation often excel not only academically but also in sport, arts and cultural activities.
Resources and realities
It is worth noting that appreciation alone is not enough.
Teachers cannot be expected to perform beyond the call of duty without the tools necessary to succeed.
In many private schools, educators are expected to deliver excellence while lacking basic resources such as textbooks, reliable Wi-Fi for research and lesson preparation, and access to media facilities that support modern teaching.
Regardless of these constraints, good results are still demanded and when performance falls short, unfair dismissals are sometimes carried out under the guise of incompetence.
Such practices erode trust, destroy morale and weaken institutions from within.
Strong systems, therefore, recognise that empowerment is not only about respect but also about adequately resourcing teachers to meet the expectations placed upon them.
Strong institutions establish policies rooted in fairness, professionalism and collaboration.
They discourage favouritism, gossip and unhealthy competition while cultivating healthy professional relationships.
They recognise that mistakes are part of growth and that progress emerges from the convergence of ideas rather than rigid authoritarianism.
Such systems are sustained by visionary leadership that balances accountability with empathy and profitability with purpose. Education can never be treated as an ordinary commodity because schools exist to shape human beings and build the future of society.
Whole-rounded learners
The true measure of a school system lies in the kind of learners it produces.
Whole-rounded individuals equipped with critical thinking skills, creativity, resilience, discipline and empathy emerge from environments where teachers themselves are empowered.
The success of ATS schools demonstrates that academic excellence can coexist with thriving sporting and cultural programmes when systems are designed holistically. Other private schools must draw lessons from this model if they are to remain relevant, competitive and sustainable in an evolving education sector.
Zimbabwe’s education system stands at a crucial crossroads.
The future of private education will not be determined solely by infrastructure, enrolment figures, social media marketing or profit margins but by the environments schools create for their teachers.
Strong systems balance supervision with trust, authority with humanity and business interests with national service.
Schools that value teachers will thrive, while those which exploit them will inevitably decline.
Perhaps the most important question is not whether rising private schools can hire successful and experienced individuals to achieve excellence, but whether they are building systems capable of sustaining excellence long after those individuals have departed.
Gabriel Manyeruke is an author and educator at Wise Owl High School in Marondera. Feedback [email protected]
