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DARAMOMBE High School in Chivhu-Masvingo competes with heavy-weights in every sense of competition.
In its 2015 ‘A’ level Zimsec examinations the Anglican Diocese of Masvingo academic giant achieved a 96,8 percent pass rate and 78,3 percent in the ‘O’ level results. If that is not competing with the best, what is it?Guided by the wise and able leadership of one A.K. Manzonza through years of recovery from the sad impact of critical power struggle and in-house- ‘political’ strife, which rocked Anglican churches in the recent past, the school attained the following proud record of achievement:
A-Level Results:
Year 2010 – Pass rate-100 percent
Year 2011-Pass rate-100 percent
Year 2012-Pass rate- 97,5 percent
Year 2013-Pass rate -87,2 percent
Year 2014-Pass rate-81,1 percent
Year 2015-Pass rate -96, 8 percent
O-Level Results:
Year 2010-Pass rate- 96,3 percent
Year 2011-Pass rate-81,3 percent
Year 2012-Pass rate- 53,2 percent
Year 2013-Pass rate- 67,3 percent
Year 2014-Pass rate- 81,3 percent
Year 2015-Pass rate- 78,3 percent.
This writer was at the school on a number of occasions and witnessed a boarding school ably competing with the best in the country.
Situated 7 kilometres North West, off the Masvingo Highway, Daramombe High School is a pristinely exotic oasis on a quiet tranquil farmland.
From the tarred road a rustic dirt road takes you for a few stretches of desolate homesteads and peasant fields before entering Christ-the-King Mission through a dust road cutting through thick green virgin bush land, all that is a feast to the eye that loves nature.
The High School main entrance gate introduces visitors to a scenic view of beautiful teachers’ houses standing in majestic geometric formation.
The landscaping speaks of exotic ornamental horticulture displaying a hand of God reminding us of His perfect sense of beauty only He divinely exhibited in the Old Testament Garden of Eden during the genesis of life and the world.Under the administrative competence and instinctive appetite for excellence of headmaster A.K. Manzonza, a highly qualified and hard-working teaching team and formidably industrious ancillary staff, Daramombe is a perfect exhibition of Zim-asset compliancy and adherence to the Dokora dream of a transformative curriculum encompassing the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) initiative emphasizing the development of the 3 Hs (Head, hand and heart).
Without mentioning names, Daramombe High School has not looked back but continues to be a force to reckon with in modeling Minister Dokora’s dream of a best-practice STEM based institution exhibiting a balanced curriculum aimed at producing employable national assets, and not idle liabilities.
Once a student enrolls at Daramombe, he or she is sure to leave with a meaningful technological or vocational skill applicable in life to lead a meaningful life.
A state-of-the-art computer lab has just been completed at Daramombe.
This is going to steam-roll research capability amongst teachers and students and help to raise the pass rate.
Indeed the school motto: ‘and some fell on rich soil’ confirms students here fell on rich soil.
They will surely germinate with ease and grow to produce a bumper harvest of fruit as the examination results continue to prove year after year.
I challenge the good Minister of Primary and Secondary Education to visit Daramombe High School if he wants to see one school that is perfectly implementing his vision of a transformative school curriculum at work.
It can be done. Grammarians say, “It is doable.” Daramombe did it.
They are doing it.
The word Daramombe is derived from the name of a local mountain which ancient indigenous peasants called Dariramombe.
The word was coined from Tariramombe(look at your cattle) but soon dubbed into Daramombe.
A local story has it that the indigenous people of Daramombe who depended on livestock, mainly mombes(cattle), used to climb up the mountain, stand there and sight their mombes down below from all planes.
Today Daramombe the high school continues to be a beacon of academic achievement perched up there looking down on other schools struggling to match it.
The Manica Post wishes the Masvingo diocesan school growth from strength to strength, a spurt of broken records of academic and other achievements to join the best on the national list.
Good schools help to produce nation builders. And Daramombe is one of them.
Online Reporter