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Lovemore Dube, Chronicle Correspondent
CHURNING out pupils with very good results in public examinations thereby preparing them for life after school has become synonymous with leading Matabeleland South’s Mtshabezi High School.

A former teacher training institute which is now a fully-fledged co-educational school with an enrolment of about 1 000 pupils, the school is among the best in the country.

The school’s principal, Mr Morgen Moyo attributes the high pass rate to teachers’ hard work and pupils’ commitment to a future underpinned by a good education.

In an interview with Chronicle on Tuesday ahead of today’s Speech and Prize Giving Day, Mr Moyo said: “The teachers and pupils’ hard work, good studying habits inculcated by a very competent teaching staff, has seen the boys and girls put the library to good use hence the good results. The pupils are also taking advantage of information technology to do research using computers, tablets and laptops,” said Mr Moyo.

He said he was proud that his teachers were part of subject panels within the district and beyond and were ever willing to upgrade themselves and become champions in their respective subjects.

Mr Moyo said he was happy that of the A-Level pupils who sat for their final examinations in June this year, six had already enrolled with universities. He said 14 pupils obtained 10 points and above. The best pupil, Moyo said, attained 18 points.

He said 72 had passed at least two subjects during the June sitting.

The schoolhead said six of the pupils who wrote this year’s June examinations at O-Level passed with 5 As and better.

“We’re happy that the O-Level class also posted good results in June with 84 passing five subjects. Geography had the highest number of distinctions with 70 in a class of 162, 59 had Bs and 27 Cs.

“Mathematics recorded 38 As, 45 Bs and 35 Cs while Accounts recorded a 98 percent pass rate with 50 of the 51 pupils getting C or better.

“In Economics the pass rate was 97,8 percent with just one pupil attaining a D out of 46 pupils.

“Minolta Ndlovu, Thando Moyo, Methembe Ndlovu, Tebogo Sigodo, Thembelani Moyo and Mlungisi Ncube attained 5 As.

“There was a 100 percent pass rate in History, Biology, Physics, Business Studies and Economics in the June A-Level examinations.

“As a school we were happy to celebrate with this group and the best student was Keto Tuturu who attained 18 points (Mathematics A, Chemistry A, Physics B and Biology B). We are confident that those who did not do well in June are preparing hard for November and there is no reason for them to fail this time around,” said Mr Moyo.

Ngqabutho Dlamini had three distinctions in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry emphasizing the school’s strength in STEM subjects — the new Government thrust in education.

Malaba Ncube attained 16 points in Commercials.

The school recorded a 92,1 percent pass rate in the November 2015  O-Level examinations and Mr Moyo said the 2016 target is 93 percent.

The A-Level pass rate was 96,5 percent and the school was among the best in the country that included Matopo High School from the same province.

Mr Moyo said this year his school’s target was a 100 percent pass rate at A-Level in November.

He said the school had already recorded a 100 percent pass mark in the Higher Education Examinations Council subjects.

The school has a viable department for those with disabilities with facilities that are friendly. Mr Moyo appealed for more help for the department.

Parents who attend today’s function will be happy to hear of the success of a number of development projects undertaken by Mr Moyo and his administration.

“We were able to commission a duplex house, the library foyer which has created more space for reading and the 16-seater mini bus should be arriving at the school soon.

“We were able to tile two classrooms and the boys’ dining room. Toilets at the junior laboratories and church were tiled and one project we have our eyes on is to have an internet server for the library as e-learning has become an integral component of the children’s learning environment. We are eager to buy laptops for departments and projectors for the group head of departments,” said Mr Moyo.

Mtshabezi may make history by becoming the first school in Matabeleland to have a multi-purpose indoor pavilion as work is already above foundation level.

Bulawayo company High Range Engineering have begun assembling the structural features of the centre and on Tuesday work on the foundation had started.

“For all our future gatherings we’ll be indoors and the facility will be home to sports like basketball, netball, volleyball and others,” said Mr Moyo as he took The Chronicle crew around the school.

Mr Moyo said the tiling of toilets and bathrooms would continue as soon as funds became available.

While the year was filled with so many positives Mr Moyo said there were still challenges faced.

“Low payment of fees, non-replacement of critical staff and the poor state of the road are some of the challenges impacting negatively on the operation of the school,” said Mr Moyo.

The school also suffered from regular power cuts which at times affected school projects.

Moyo appealed to parents, the business community and former pupils to assist with resources to address some of the school’s challenges.

Through its own initiative, the school now has a biogas project capable of powering a four plate stove. It is from waste collected from the school which is sent through to a digester and the gas piped to the dining hall.

On discipline, Mr Moyo said the school was happy and pointed out that the results posted by pupils were a confirmation of the high levels of discipline the school is enjoying.

Mewanwhile, Mtshabezi successfully hosted the Brethren In Christ Church (BICC) National Conference.

The school also ran a holidays programme attended by 149 children from other school and 251 from Mtshabezi.

In sport the school fared very well in both provincial and national championships.

There were impressive performances in public speaking, debate, quiz and bakery studies.

To cap a fine year Mtshabezi dominated the BICC Schools Ball Games Championships.

The theme for today’s celebrations is “Providing education that is pestle sensitive: A need for the 21st Century.”

Doctor Charles Mugaviri of Harare based Lasof will be the guest of honour.

What has been driving Mtshabezi is the desire to achieve quality education despite the challenges.