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Lovemore Dube
MATOPO High School’s academic results continued to be positive during the 2015 November national examinations.

The school’s headmaster Mr Gardson Sibanda said teachers and pupils’ hard work had seen results soar over the years. Last year the school recorded a 79,3 percent pass rate in the O-Level examinations which was better than 71,5 percent of 2014.

In 2013 they recorded 68,1 percent, 2012 the pass rate was 48,7 percent and 54 in 2011.

“The results have been on the rise in the last three years with the 79,3 percent the best by the school since 1980. We have achieved this because we have had a low staff turnover in most departments with seminars, access to internet, support from the parents and responsible authority,” said Mr Sibanda.

Byron Mawoyo was the best student last year with 11 As.

“The hall mark of our results last year was quality with 20 candidates scoring 5 As and above,” said Mr Sibanda.

The A-Level Class of 2015 did not disappoint either notching 87,2 percent an improvement from the 2014 group whose mark was 76,2.

Mr Sibanda said as a school they were concerned. He said 87,2 percent was not good enough as the school target was 100 percent.

“As a school we are surely working at reversing that decline as in 2013 we had 90 and 97,4 percent in 2012,” said Mr Sibanda whose report at the school speech and prize giving day this morning is likely to receive a good reception.

Sibanda said Mondliwethu Ncube who attained 14 points from commercial subjects, Raymond Takawira 18 from sciences and Hellen Nare 15 from the arts were last year’s best performers at A-Level.

Ten candidates who sat O-Levels exams in June passed with five subjects with History enjoying a 77,9 percent pass rate. Sixty eight passed with As and there were 10 Bs with Mathematics enjoying a 49,1 percent pass rate and Integrated Science 68,9 percent.

In that sitting Shepherd Kararakuripi and Methembe scored As in History, Mathematics, Intergrated Science A and Human and Social Biology. Coincidentally they had Cs in English.

In line with Ministry of Education requirements, Mr Sibanda said Matopo introduced vocational technical subjects last year.

He lamented the lack of machinery and appealed to former students and organisations to partner the school towards getting kids to realise their dreams.

Mr Sibanda told The Chronicle that the school had enrolled 24 students to study Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology as part of the Stem initiative on science subjects. It is a deliberate government initiative to come up with students who will embrace the subjects and take up courses that will help the country stay abreast with the rest of the world in the field of technology too.

Mr Sibanda said the Stem emphasis had seen increased numbers which had therefore forced the school to expand and refurbish existing laboratories.

“There is need to purchase more equipment and chemicals,” he said.

On another positive development for the school, Mr Sibanda said 52 desk top computers had been bought. He, however, noted that the figure fell short of expected levels as the school’s enrolment stands at about 1 000 pupils.

He challenged parents to assist by buying their children laptops.

Matopo High School is gearing for the introduction of a new curriculum framework for 2017-22 by introducing subjects like Business and Economics at O-Level.

“The focus of the curriculum is to expose every learner to the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and heritage studies.

“This will see them when they finish school contributing to the socio-economic transformation in line with the Zim-Asset blueprint,” he said.

Completed projects at the school include the roofing of Form 4 boys’ hostels and electrification, purchase of a 64-seater bus, single cab truck and tiling of the Sixth Form girls’ hostels.

Outstanding projects include the water project, tiling of dormitories, ceiling of the boys’ block and whiteboards to be erected in the remaining 12 classes.

Mr Sibanda said there was a shortage of accommodation with some houses needing attention, lack of proper computer laboratory and inadequate computers and lack of science laboratories.

Over 2,000 people are expected at the school’s speech and prize giving day this morning.