Online Reporter
Gabriel Manyeruke
It is common knowledge in Zimbabwe that some schools have built their reputations on strict entry requirements.
At Form One level, they enrol only learners who achieved strong Grade Seven results — often those with fewer than 10 units.
Those who fall short are denied entry, regardless of their potential.
Later, at Advanced Level, the same schools refuse to admit learners who did not secure at least a B or an A at Ordinary Level.
The outcome is predictable.
By enrolling high achievers, these schools end up producing dazzling statistics — large numbers of As at Ordinary Level and streams of 15 pointers at Advanced Level.
Newspapers and social media celebrate these results and teachers are hailed as the best facilitators.
Yet this picture of “excellence” is misleading.
It is not necessarily a reflection of extraordinary teaching, but of selective enrolment.
Government efforts
Although the Government has made commendable efforts to discourage streaming and selective enrolment based on academic ability, it remains common knowledge that some schools continue with this practice.
The policy intention is clear: Education should be inclusive, offering every child the right to learn and succeed.
However, the persistence of selective entry undermines this vision, creating a two-tier system where only the already gifted are celebrated while others are sidelined.
By contrast, schools that do not enrol selectively take in all learners, including those who struggled at Grade Seven level.
Their classrooms are filled with diverse abilities, and their teachers must work harder to lift learners who were once written off.
It is not uncommon to see a learner who failed Grade Seven later attain at least five subjects with Cs or better at Ordinary Level.
That transformation is remarkable. It demonstrates the sterling guidance of teachers who refuse to give up on any learner.
Yet these achievements rarely make headlines.
A learner moving from failure to five passes is seldom celebrated in the same way as a 15 pointer at Advanced Level.
This silence undermines the true value of inclusive schools, which embody the
principle of education as a right, not a privilege.
The imbalance in recognition raises uncomfortable questions.
Should we continue to glorify schools that merely polish already shining diamonds while ignoring those that painstakingly refine rough stones into gems of their own?
The effort required to teach struggling learners is qualitatively different. It demands patience, creativity and relentless encouragement. Teachers in inclusive schools often act as mentors, counsellors and motivators, investing far more emotional and intellectual energy than their counterparts who teach only highfliers. Yet their labour remains undervalued.
Rethinking excellence
Academic excellence should not be measured solely by the number of A grades produced. It should also reflect the distance travelled by each learner.
A child who moves from failure to five passes has achieved something profound, both personally and socially.
Schools that facilitate such journeys deserve equal, if not greater, celebration. They are the unsung heroes of our education system, proving that with the right support, every learner can succeed.
A call to action
It is time for stakeholders — parents, policymakers and the media — to broaden their definition of success.
Let us shine the spotlight on schools that practise inclusivity, that refuse to stream learners out of opportunity and that demonstrate the true power of teaching.
By doing so, we not only honour the teachers who labour in silence but also inspire learners who might otherwise feel forgotten.
True academic excellence lies not in selective entry, but in transformative teaching.
And so the question remains: Should we continue to celebrate schools that merely select the brightest learners or should we finally recognise those that transform the overlooked into achievers?
Gabriel Manyeruke is an author and educator at Wise Owl High School in Marondera. Feedback [email protected]
