School of Brainiacs! 62 get 15 points or more at A Level as Mpopoma High School maintains tradition of excellency: Heads heaps praise on dedicated teachers

Nqobile Tshili [email protected]
A TOTAL of 62 candidates from Mpopoma High School achieved 15 points and above in the 2024 Advanced Level examinations, reaffirming the school’s reputation as a centre of excellence in Bulawayo.
The school recorded an impressive pass rate of 96.2 percent, which is 2 percent higher than the national average.
Headmistress Mrs Sipho Sibanda said while the school is accustomed to producing excellent results, the outcomes for 2024 were particularly exceptional.
“At Mpopoma, we focus more on producing quality results than just percentages. For the A-Level results in 2024, we had 62 learners achieving 15 points, with 13 scoring 20 points. The total pass rate stands at 96.2 percent. When we mention 15 points, we refer to those who obtained three A’s in their subjects. Some students wrote four subjects, which is how we identify our 20 pointers. Some candidates sat for three subjects while others sat for four,” said Mrs Sibanda.
In 2024, the school had 263 candidates sitting for A-Level examinations, with Mrs Sibanda attributing the outstanding results to the dedication of the teaching staff.
“At Mpopoma High School, it is common to achieve 15 points, but this year our results were exceptionally good. Last year, we had about 48 candidates who obtained 15 points. These results reflect the commitment and expertise of our teaching staff, the supportive school community we have built, and the hard work of our learners,” she added.
Mrs Sibanda manages the school alongside two deputies, overseeing a student population of over 2 000. Each Form has a head teacher to help manage the large classes.
She noted that stakeholder engagement has played a crucial role in improving the school’s results.
“With our A-Level classes being quite large, some classes contain up to 50 learners instead of the ideal 25, which presents resource challenges. However, we have been supported by the community. For us to produce these good results, learners must be disciplined, so we work closely with the community, which sometimes donates the necessary resources,” she explained.
In some cases, the school invites police to help maintain discipline among pupils.
Mrs Sibanda highlighted that the payment of fees remains a challenge affecting the smooth operation of the school.
Unlike some public schools that follow zoning regulations for student enrolment, Mpopoma High is exempt from this rule.
“We do not enrol based on zones; we can accept any child from Emganwini, Cowdray Park, or Mahatshula. We enrol those who are interested in learning here. Soon, we will be enrolling students for Advanced Level, most of whom will be coming from our school. For instance, we have nine classes in Form Four, so we will select from those,” she said.
Mrs Sibanda also mentioned that the school does not provide incentives for teachers who demonstrate professionalism and a commitment to achieving good results.
“We have experienced teachers who are dedicated, and many of their children are enrolled in this school, which motivates them to work very hard. We don’t give our teachers incentives; their commitment is what drives them,” stated Mrs Sibanda.
-@nqotshili
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