Online Reporter
Yolanda Mlilo, Sunday News Reporter
TOWNSEND High School in Bulawayo has continued to position itself as a force to reckon with in the country’s educational landscape with an overgrowing pass rate that speaks to its dedication to excellence.
The school is celebrating a 21 percent rise in the O-level passes after it attained a 60 percent pass rate in 2024 up from the previous year’s 39 percent pass rate.
The exceptional improvement in the O-level pass rate is a reflection of the hard work and dedication on the part of teachers and the candidates.
Townsend High School had over 200 candidates who sat for the O-level examinations last year with the top student achieving an impressive six As and 3Bs. The students performed exceptionally well across all subjects, with the school’s pass rate surpassing the national average of 33,19 percent.
The A-level students also had a notable performance with several students scoring 20, 15, and 14 points.
The school’s focus on teamwork, goal-setting and collaborative teaching methods has contributed to this success.
Commenting on the outstanding results, the school’s headmistress, Mrs Thokozile Tshabalala noted a significant improvement in the 2024 O-level results and attributed it to a culture of hard work.
“At Townsend High School, we have always believed in doing things better and in continuously improving our results. We have attained a 21 percent increase in our pass rate from 39 percent in 2023 to 60 percent in 2024. We are aiming to do even better in 2025,” she said.
Townsend High School has already started taking initiatives towards securing and maintaining exceptional results in both A and O-levels.
“Just last week we had a consultancy coming to talk to the heads of departments about goal setting, making sure that they stick to their goals and making sure that they work towards attaining their goals,” added Mrs Tshabalala.
The initiatives to better the results are both for the teachers and candidates.
“That same consultancy came and spoke to the candidates, where learners were taken through the imperatives of goal setting and how they should work to achieve those goals,” she said.
She noted that each candidate was asked to write whatever symbols they wished to attain at the end of the year and the need to work towards attaining those goals.
“Townsend High School is aimed at maintaining and improving on what we have already achieved. We are teaching each other team building where we can co-teach our candidates where a teacher can go to the other teacher’s class to teach a certain topic,” said Mrs Tshabalala.
“It is all about working as a team where you don’t want to be a leader but a team builder and where you do not have subordinates that follow you but people that support you,” she said.
Sidumisile Mabena