adminSamuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
IN the recent years, the mention of St David’s Girls’ High ignited memories of an academic giant that had lost its sparkle due to the twin-evils of student indiscipline and parental and religious politics.2008-2012 was the period of instability where the school fell from grace, failing the students, parents and the nation at large.
In 2013, the school started enjoying some level of stability and like an arrow that can only be shot by pulling it backward, its academic achievement was launched into something great and powerful.
The 2014 O and A-Level results speak for themselves.
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).
The School Development Committee, Board of Governors and Responsible Authority last week celebrated the quality achievement and rewarded the teachers and ancillary staff for a job well done.
It was incredibly inspirational to hear how these individuals helped to change the school for the better in a world where all we hear about is doom and gloom.
In short, the Bonda story shows that it doesn’t take millions to do something to change a situation.
One man who knows that better than anyone is the school head, Mr Caston Chitsidzo Samanga.
I remember him snubbing the media on several occasions during the turbulent 2008 to 2012 era, but things change so fast and over the weekend Mr Samanga wore a broad smile as he chronicled how he turned the struggling school into one of the nation’s very best.
So, how did he manage to transform the school into one of Zimbabwe’s best?
“I am happy that we have managed to turn the school into the pride of Zimbabwe, and it is now one of the top-performing in the country. It has regained its lost pride.
“For a long time, it looked as if there was no hope mainly because of the Anglican politics and student indiscipline. But if you are a leader, you need to take time to build relationships with others — that is the parents, teachers, SDC, the Board of Governors and responsible authority — and gain their respect, and by mastering that people started following us towards the next step in accomplishing our vision. What we are witnessing — these brilliant results — are the fruits of the blood, sweat and tears we invested in the engagement process,” said Mr Samanga.
“There is no school in Zimbabwe with more than 108 students with five distinctions at O-Level. 183 students passed with five passes. We are still far from our peak. We still have potential to achieve 100 percent pass-rate. The school started to regain stability in 2013. The previous years were turbulent and we all agreed as stakeholders to consider discipline as the central principle towards any form of success.
“We then agreed as teachers to give parents value for their investment by teaching all students according to today’s standards. We had a common understanding that as teachers we need to understand subjects matter deeply so that we can help students create useful cognitive maps, relate one idea to another, and address misconceptions. This kind of understanding provided a foundation for pedagogical content knowledge that enables teachers to make ideas accessible to others,” he added.
Mr Samanga said today, the teacher must not only be a conveyor of information and knowledge to students, but must be organiser, planner, co-ordinator and strategist of the teaching process, and must understand that the centre of the teaching process should be the student.
He said teachers at Bonda take their responsibility toward students seriously — they simply want the best for the impressionable learners in their classroom. He said the teachers are driven to amplify their good work by sharing what they would have learned with other teachers — often taking what little spare time they have to make a bigger difference.
“Bonda want team players. The days of closing the classroom door and creating a self-contained world are a thing of the past. The autonomous classroom simply doesn’t exist. Our students need more than just one person to guide their education. They need the added power of several brains working together for their good,” said Mr Samanga.
However, putting a group of determined, opinionated individuals in the same school, you often have a recipe for headaches.
How, then, can such strong personalities work together as a team?
“The first condition is a willingness to work with others and the ability to recognise that you can’t do it all on your own. No one can meet all the needs of all the students who walk through our doors without help. It just isn’t possible,” he explained.
“The other requirement is to be humble and listening to the wisdom gained by veteran teachers. Although one might think that some of their ways are outdated, don’t discount their skill and knowledge. Collaboration takes hard work and effort. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it. Ultimately, your students are the ones who benefit, but you don’t lose out either. In the process of collaborating with different colleagues within your school, you are building relationships that will last, and making a place for yourself within the school community. Being a team player is a win-win situation for everyone,” elaborated Mr Samanga.
The Anglican Diocese for Manicaland education secretary, Mr Lazarus Nyatsanza, hailed the commitment by the teachers.
“Our vision is to regain the lost glory of all Anglican schools in Manicaland. We take pride in the results. The excellent results are a product of a combination of factors notably; the school’s stability, high work ethics, good study habits by students, dedicated teachers in the school and of course an experienced and highly profiled headmaster,” said Mr Nyatsanza.
The diocese was equally proud and pleased with the results in its five other schools namely St Faiths High (100 percent), St Augustine’s (98 percent), St Mathias (90 percent), St Annes (89 percent) and St Mary’s (86 percent).
The SDC chairperson, Mr Chinyai, urged parents to continue contributing towards the realisation of the goals at the school.
He said the SDC would continue providing financial resources to create a conducive learning environment in which teaching and learning take place.
He said at the end of the day, the success of the education system is dependent on the parents and the community.
“Children must attend school. Parents and members of the community must pay levies and building funds, pay school fees, provide their children with textbooks and stationery, and ensure their children have the required school uniforms and other nutritional support to sustain the children at school.
“A good school has a blend of attributes, one of them being a pleasant learning environment. The physical and social atmosphere in the learning place must be good or in short, the vibe it gives off must be good for learning. Teachers and students, among other stakeholders, are an important part of the environment in an education setting. A stable learning environment plays a role in creating a happy learning atmosphere; can improve students’ active participation and the effectiveness of teaching,” he said.
Online Reporter