Leadership turns school around

Post Reporters
DARAMOMBE High School has finally regained its sparkle of academic excellence and now boasts of an 81 percent pass rate at Ordinary Level from an all time-low of 67 percent that was authored by internal Anglican politics pitting Bishops Nolbert Kunonga and Chad Gandiya. Daramombe was one of the best schools in Zimbabwe after independence.

The school has seen seven heads changing hands since the exit of Mr Simon Mujuru who was promoted to the district office in 2007. His departure marked the turning point of academic standards due to lack of stability. However, today the school has turned around and the standards are up again.

School head, Mr Ananias Manzonza, said the students were burning midnight oil to attain a 100 percent pass rate. “We are leaving no stone unturned since we want to bring out the best in our students. In 2014 we produced an 81,1 percent pass-rate and this year our target is 100 percent at Ordinary and Advanced Levels,” said Mr Manzonza.

The Anglican Diocese of Masvingo, under the leadership of the Right Reverend Godfrey Tawonezvi, has succeeded in constructing a school tuck shop, a classroom block, hostels, slaughter houses, drilling boreholes and bio-gas digesters. Currently they are setting up a state-of-the-art computer laboratory.

Bishop Taonezvi said the school was playing second fiddle to two other church-owned boarding schools in the district such as Kwenda High School and St Francis of Assis High School. “Since the return of normalcy at the school, we have managed to put up many projects that we have started, one of them being the maintenance of our long time pass rate which had fallen to unprecedented levels,” said the clergy.

Daramombe was the first school to introduce computer studies in Zimbabwe in 1995. “We are in the process of building a computer laboratory which will cater for all students at any given time because every child has a right to education and computer education is no exception,” said Bishop Taonezvi. He blamed the internal Anglican politics for the deterioration of standards at the school.

He, however, maintained his eagerness to turnaround the fortunes of the school and transform it into the academic bastion of Chikomba District. The school was conferred an Infrastructural Development Award, a fortnight ago. “We are aware of the challenges that our school faces and I want to assure you that we are doing all we can as the responsible authority to improve the situation,” he added.

A speech and prize giving ceremony held last week saw the alumni stampeding to make donations. Kadoma businessman and land developer, Mr Kurauone Dube, pledged to bring in a team of engineers and his equipment to construct all required sports fields at the school, while his wife promised to construct a swimming pool.

Mr Daniel Chapinga adopted a needy Form One girl. He promised to pay fees for her secondary level to university education. He also promised classroom furniture worth $5 000 and to spruce up the computer laboratory with the latest computer equipment. The school has also embarked on income generating livestock, poultry and piggery projects.