adminMorris Mtisi In the classroom
THE name Regina Coeli reminds listeners and readers of the August 3 1991 bus disaster when 83 students and 5 teachers perished on the spot in a terrible bus disaster that Zimbabweans remember to this day. The overloaded bus was coming from a sports gala at St Killian’s, near Rusape, when it overturned and plunged into a gorge 20 kilometres from Regina Coeli.
Infamously known as the Nyanga disaster, it became the worst road accident ever recorded in the annals of the country’s history.
The Nyanga bus disaster became synonymous with a tragic accident, 25 years ago, history finds impossible to forget. Churches countrywide unanimously prayed for the departed spirits. Bereaved parents, friends and loved ones mourned for months on end. Musicians and poets broke into spontaneous songs and poems expressing the painful national and family loss. The government rightfully declared the accident a national disaster, meaning it (the government) took charge of the expenses and responsibility of burying the dead. That happened and came to pass; a story many wanted to quickly forget.
Today the school has a new history, a new story of courageous and steadfast recovery from a dark past that overshadowed hope and quenched a spirit of resurrection.
For years, memories of massive loss of precious lives drove parents away from Regina Coeli. They then regarded the Roman Catholic run school as the scene of a blood-bath refusing to go away. For years parents continued to see Regina Coeli as a cemetery infested with ghosts of their departed children. A dark, heavy and cold cloud hung over the troubled mission seemingly preserving a painful reality and truth of death stubbornly refusing to be forgotten. This deeply affected the schools pass rate as evidenced by the following summary of ‘O’ level examination data analysis: In 2002 the pass rate was 58%, year 2012-44%, 2013-38%, 2014-40%.
Yet today Regina Coeli has re-written history gaining one step every day towards restoration of a sense of hope and direction; turning a new leaf invigorated with courage and confidence to delete the historic sore caused by the historic 1993 bus disaster which shook many people and fiercely engraved permanent grief on their hearts.
In the 2015 ‘A’ level results, for example, in six subjects the school registered 100 percent pass rate. That was in Agricultural Science, Divinity, English Literature, History and Business Studies. It has been a story of going up and up. Were it not for Accounts results which were a fly in the ointment at 27 percent pass rate, bringing down the percentage pass rate to 81 percent, the school ‘A’ level results would have gone far above the 2014 93percent pass rate. Whichever way one may look at the results, it remains a good story of hard-work to tell.
In 2012 Billard Mwatura scooped 15 points at ‘A’ level, and so did Kenneth Mangunda in 2014. They are both studying Law at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ). 2014 14pointer Lovemore Masunungure and 2012 19 pointer Trymore Nyabirakure and so is 2015 14 pointer Reason Mupa are at the Midlands State University (MSU) studying Governance. 2012 to-date, Regina Coeli has posted 68 students at various universities in Zimbabwe. What do we say about Regina Coeli? Nation builder indeed!
Led by hard-working Mr Stanford Satambara and a team of relentless administrative lieutenants in the persons of Deputy Head -Mr Peter Manyunga, Mr Prosper Mutengo, Ms Rose Timburwa, Mr Tapiwa Bumhira and youthful Brenda Tundu, the school is visibly metamorphosizing towards total forgetfulness about the sad past and moving gradually but surely towards tangible development and progress.
The school is now as big and brilliant as its outlook.
The physical brilliance of the school and the calmness of teachers and students add up to create a perfect tone for teaching and learning.
The order Mr Satambara has capably instilled and continues to instill on everyday business in the school is glaringly visible. His administrative pillars and teaching staff helped him and continue to help him to achieve the psychological survival the community as a whole needed and continues to need.
Satambara believes in the present as the only way the community can appreciate life. Talking to The Manica Post recently the headmaster said, “My team and I are every day touched by the wonder of each day. All of us, including the responsible authority and the clergy stationed at the mission, used our strength, our courage and determination to attack and nullify a tragic past. It was not about denying a tragedy that happened. It happened, but we refused to allow the memory of it to persist and destroy our hope and goals.”
“Every cyclone derives its powers from a calm centre,” said Mr Satambara. “So does Regina Coeli,” he emphasized.
His words remind this writer, may be other readers too, of Peggy McColl’s wise words: “When people develop their ability to balance emotions, unexpected problems won’t knock you off balance as easily.” How true this thought and philosophy is to the story of Regina Coeli re-writing its history.
Rock bottom is the foundation on which Stanford Satambara rebuilds a new lease of hope and sense of direction for the school and the community. This he achieves through conscious endevour and effort. As Ralph Ingersoll wrote, “Courage without conscience is a wild beast.”
The business at Regina Coeli has not been and is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of themselves-to break their own records, to outstrip their yesterdays by their todays -to do their work with more diligent force than ever before.
Answering the question on the school’s strategy to compete with the best schools on record, the headmaster and deputy head, Mr Peter Manyunga, agreed on four suggestions: revitalizing the English Department which plays a pole role in determining pass rate by serving all other subject areas, involving the community in decision making and establishing healthy public relations with them, increasing consultancy with specialists or experts in special areas of teaching and learning and finally, launching internet connectivity at the school for research by teachers and students. At the time of going to the press internet connectivity was one week away from launch. The Manica Post is reliably informed that at the time of writing this story, internet is there already at the Roman Catholic run school. While the school is running a good academic race, it is also running a perfect race in Extra- Curricular activities. In 2015 the soccer team excelled in the CASA games when it came out number 4 out of 26 Catholic schools. Thanks to the school two Jose Mourinhos, or are they Arsene Vengers? Mr Douglas Dodzo and Mr Tapiwa Bumhira. In the women’s soccer Regina Coeli came out number one in the 2015 CASA games out of 26 schools. Thanks to coaches Mr Masuka Dambudzo and Prosper Mutengo for their superb coaching! Boys Volley Ball coaching was in the capable hands of Mr Mwatenga Zvikomborero and Mr Kudakwashe Chibanda; Girls Volley ball, Mr Chamanwa Tafadzwa and Mr George Mbetsa; Shot-put, Mr Maambira David; Netball, Mr Pardon Mufute and Ms Brenda Tundu. All of them did a sterling coaching job to put Regina on the sports map. The Manica Post wishes you many more accolades.
The school choir is one most attractive element of the school’s pride and glory. This writer, and reporter, was privileged to hear a taste of their music. Mellifluent does not describe it enough! The music patron, Mr Prosper Mutengo, oozes talent and visible passion for music. If he was pitted against youthful Mlambo of Pamushana High School in Masvingo, the heavens would be awestruck and wish some students would join the heavenly choir of ‘Heaven’s’ angels. The deputy Headmaster, Mr Peter Manyunga, is patron of the Environmental Awareness Club. Good news for EMA, the Environment Management Authority! Thanks to EMA and its visible effort in schools to influence students how to manage their environment. Like many civilized schools, Regina Coeli takes a seriously active role in this initiative, And thanks to Mr Manyunga!
There are many other clubs in the school: Young People We Care,- an HIV and AIDS centred club, Youth Alive and others, all helping this great school to rewrite its history. The school headmaster, Mr Satambara, recently revealed his idea of sustaining and preserving the school’s rich history through the launch of a school magazine which will document it and publish the school’s successes and challenges thus far and hopefully every year and forever after.
The Manica Post wish Mr Satambara and Regina Coeli (Queen of Heavens) the abundant mercies of God to give you more and more wisdom to make this school one of the best on the land. The precious blood of 83 students and 5 teachers was and could not have been spilt in vain. They died on an ambassadorial mission to lift the school flag. Lest we forget!
Online Reporter