WATCH: Boost for Matabeleland South schools

ISIBONELO Esihle Education Trust, a non-profit organisation operating in Umzingwane district in Matabeleland South has partnered Government to improve the pass rate in rural schools in the district through various programmes, which include providing reading materials and electronic gadgets.

Through its programme, one of the worst performing schools in the district, Sikhoveni Secondary School’s O-level pass rate jumped from 15 percent in 2020 to 43 percent in 2023.

In 2020, only three pupils managed to pass their O-level examinations at Sikhoveni and last year, the number increased to 16, with most of the pupils obtaining a combination of As and Bs in their results.

A colourful ceremony was held last Thursday in honour of the learners who excelled in their O-level studies.

In his address, Umzingwane Constituency legislator Brigadier-General (Rtd) Levi Mayihlome said the improved pass rate was testimony of Isibonelo Esihle Education Trust’s efforts to bridge the gap between urban and rural schools.

“Sikhoveni has improved its pass rate and if it continues it will be ranked among the best schools in the region. Education is a lifetime investment and we hope to see the pass rate improvement cascading to other schools in the Umzingwane district,” he said.

Brig-Gen (Rtd) Mayihlome said children of school-going age in various districts of Matabeleland South are set to benefit from the literacy support programme being spearheaded by Isibonelo Esihle Education Trust.

The organisation assists needy schools with reading materials and other educational requirements in an effort to improve the quality of education.

“Education is a necessary tool in life and it prevents youths from engaging in delinquent behaviour such as drug and substance abuse. The youth must realise that a lot can be achieved through education. You are our future leaders hence the need for you to take education seriously,” said Brig Gen (Rtd) Mayihlome.

Isibonelo Esihle Education Trust project co-ordinator Mr Forgive Flames Sibanda said the organisation’s move was driven by a poor pass rate in public examinations, a development which he attributed to a lack of reading materials and e-learning gadgets.

Mr Sibanda said the trust was complementing Government efforts to improve the pass rate of schools in rural areas.

“We have been donating books, tablets and other educational requirements to Sikhoveni Secondary as we strive to improve the school’s pass rate,” he said.

Mr Sibanda said Sikhoveni Secondary has been identified as a pilot school for the project which will later be spread to other schools in the district.

Recently, Government announced that it is working on modalities to bridge the infrastructure and technology gap between rural schools and their urban counterparts through a deliberate policy of modernising rural schools.

The technological divide between schools in rural and urban areas has restricted learners from rural areas from taking academic courses in sciences.

The construction of education facilities started in 2020 but progress was heavily hindered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some rural learners are now accessing online learning as the Second Republic works to address challenges faced by rural schools.

The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education said it will soon establish servers to enable rural schools to access textbooks virtually as part of efforts to tackle challenges associated with the shortage of reading material, blamed for the poor pass rate.