Eastern Heights College

Morris Mtisi

A new baby is born on the education block in Mutare. Its name is Eastern Heights Block (EHC). It is bubbling and bouncing with health, smiles beautifully and promises to grow into rude health and in favour with God and man. Someone must say Amen!

This year EHC celebrated its first Speech and Prize giving night on 6 October 2016 under the theme IN PURSUIT OF INSIGHTFUL DREAMS, BASED ON VISIONARY EXPECTATIONS AND EXCELLENT PROFESSIONALISM FOR TOMORROW’S LEADERS. Quite a mouthful but unequivocally phrased and telling!

Speaking to a sizeable audience that comprised parents, teaching staff, students and invited guests, the EHC principal, Dr Bakare, (wife to the well known Anglican Bishop) called everyone pioneer sighting advantages and disadvantages to doing it (celebrating first Speech and Prize giving Day) the first time.

Said Bishop Bakare’s wife, “Nobody can say last year it was much better-or- this year’s event was the best so far. At the same time we can be forgiven for any errors that might occur. But rest assured that we will learn from our mistakes as we strive to improve our performance continually.”

She said feedback was therefore appreciated. But in the eyes of this reporter and those who attended the event, no mistake was noted, as everything went on beautifully as if it was not the first time. Well done EHC!

The principal did not forget to enunciate the college’s Mission Statement as: “To provide each student a sound, value-based and diverse education in a safe, supportive environment that promotes self-discipline, motivation and excellence in learning.”

She added that in cooperation with parents and community, EHC team sought to assist the students in developing skills to become independent and self-sufficient adults who will succeed and contribute responsibly in the local as well as global community. If mission statements were finally accomplished and ceased to be figments of anxious and ambitious dreams, which we know not to be with Eastern Heights College, who would not want to send their child to EHC?

Dr Bakare chronicled the short history of the college. It was a sweet story of vision and pursuit of that vision.

EHC is the brainchild of Mr and Mrs Magada (aka directors). It opened its doors in January 2015 with one student, Marlon Nhidza, soon to be joined by 4 more. By the end of the year EHC had 35 students.

Then they had only 3 classes, a composite Form 1 and 2 classes, Form 3 and Form 5. In January 2016, the intake doubled and by the end of Term 1. Then the new Form 5 students joined and there were now over 90 students. By the end of Term 2 enrolment had reached 105, only to drop again this term to 77.

“Most of those who are no longer attending school are Form 4 and 6 students who decided to do their revision outside the school for reasons best known to themselves,” Dr Bakare revealed, adding, “ . . . There are also a few drop outs due to financial constraints. However, even this term, 2 students joined the college.”

The principal revealed that in Form 1 there were 19 students, 9 female and 10 male; in Form 2, 7 students-2 female and 5 male; in Form 3, 12 students, 10 female and 2 male; Form 4, 5 male; in Form 3, 12 students, 10 female and 2 male; Form 4, 5 students, 2 female and 3 male;  Form 5, 22 students, 13 female and 9 male and Form 6, 12 students, 3 female and 9 male.

“We have 18 teachers, 11 female and 7 female and we employ only experienced teachers with teaching qualifications,” said Dr Bakare adding, “The average teaching experience among the current teaching staff is 18 years.”

EHC introduced a School Representative Committee (SRC) comprising students in order to encourage a sense of responsibility for the good running of the school . . . and they are voted into the SRC by their peers. Eastern Heights College employs only experienced teachers with teaching qualifications,” said Dr Bakare adding, “The average teaching experience among the current teaching staff is 18 years.”

EHC introduced a School Representative Committee (SRC) comprising students in order to encourage a sense of responsibility for the good running of the school . . . and they are voted into the SRC by their peers.

Eastern Heights College offers both ZIMSEC and CAMBRIDGE curriculums and syllabi. Its ‘O’ and ‘A’ level candidates will sit their public examinations at St Dominic’s for ZIMSEC and Hillcrest Colleges for Cambridge examinations.

The college started The Interact Club with the assistance of Mr Torindo (Zaheedah’s father) who is a very active Rotarian.

It boasts two appointments of its students to civic duties: Cynthia Mawoyo in Form 5, chosen as Junior Mayoress of Mutare, and Shalom Bususu, also in Form 5- Junior Commissioner for Prisons and Correctional Services. Other co-curricular activities include Athletics, Swimming and Ball games, Junior Achievement Zimbabwe (JAZ), Chess, Drama and choral Music.  In her speech, Dr Bakare announced a star tennis player in the school, Rudo Mahachi.

“Rudo is on her way to becoming a professional tennis player. She has already won a number of gold medals in regional tennis competitions.

Our second sports star is Lisa Maarire who won a trophy in the recent NASH swimming competitions.

“It is our hope and dream that one day Rudo and Lisa will come back and coach our students in tennis and swimming respectively,” said Mrs Bakare in the midst of silent applause.

In her principal’s report the doctor cited challenges and consequences experienced in the college, first as “School fees not paid on time and in some cases, not at all,” saying this made the college to fail to meet all its financial obligations and the remedy was that students had to be sent home whenever fees were overdue. Second, she cited parents, many of them she said, who did not buy textbooks for their children.

“This, she said compromised children’s performance and teachers wasted time writing work on the board, thus losing valuable time for interactive teaching. And third, she cited lack of communication between parents and college administration and this, she said, led to problems that could be easily avoided.

Speaking at the same occasion the District Education Inspector for Mutasa, Mr  Chikwangwani echoed the appropriateness and wisdom of EHC’s first Speech and Prize Giving Day theme:

“This theme connects very well with Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education’s thrust to create young people who think, do things in a professional way,” said Mr Chikwangwani.

“We all have to embrace the new curriculum,” he emphasised and urged all teachers and school heads to be trained on the tenets of the new curriculum. He revealed that training was done in circuits and invited both private and public schools to send teachers for training.

“Please liaise with our office to know when training is for your circuit,” Mr Chikwangwani emphasised.

He ended by sounding like the famous Socrates and Aristotle put together when he quoted one lawyer, Charles Phillips, to sum up the foundation of all professional careers and the critical importance of education in human development: “Without it (education), what is man? a splendid slave, a reasoning savage, vacillating between the dignity of an intelligence derived from God, and the passions participated with brutes.”

This reporter is still passionately battling with unlocking meaning from this complex verbal spider-gram. The guest of honour on the night was Mr Zenda (Mutare Teachers’ College). Watch the space for a full story next week Friday on the Education Page.

Meanwhile The Manica Post – Education Department; education journalists, writers, especially this reporter, wish Eastern Heights College the success we wish for other colleges. Being a new baby on the block please be more cautious and strive to be unique.  Become inspired and live up to your wondrous vision.

Henry David Thoreau said, “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with unexpected success.”

Mr and Mrs Magada, the directors of EHC had a dream and vision. Live up to that dream, pursue it diligently to the end and remember when everything is done and said, it is done for the child and national development, not ourselves. Can I advise you to consider publishing a school magazine to include all the good you have done so far? No newspaper can do justice to all the good story there is to tell. If you need my personal consultancy is this respect, I will offer it, from training a teacher or two and leading student ‘journalists’ so that the resultant magazine is a true mirror of what EHC stands for.