Ray Bande and Morris Mtisi
WHILE the Hillcrest star continues to shine, the college is determined to exhibit more relevance and revised-curriculum compliance. Hillcrest College is not always in the newspaper headlines glittering with educational pomp and fabulous colours like the Christmas tree. But it is there always leading quietly by example, liberating young minds and inculcating in them values and skills fit for purpose.
The academic institution is known for drawing the best out of every learner regardless of his or her peculiar weakness. The college is known for tapping special gifts or talents and building on what every learner is best at. The curriculum is broad and accommodating, ensuring every learner succeeds in what he or she is best at. The college has been doing it. It is doing it and doing it even better with its determined effort to be new-curriculum compliant.
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Hillcrest College is the best school to send young boys and girls who want to discover themselves for purpose. Very few schools, if any, know better than Hillcrest that a string of A’s does not translate to fitness for purpose or fulfilment of self.
The College seriously offers sporting in all its genres and peculiarities, public speaking, grooming, debating, philanthropy, music . . .the list is longer than the new curriculum suggests. The academic curriculum including STEM is there and has been there lying latent in its institutional curriculum. Students from this relevant and hands-on institute of learning are prepared not only to be fit for national development purpose, but to individually make history and be themselves.
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Hillcrest College regards learning as a personal Chimurenga in which every student engages in an enabling education that liberates the mind and prepares life for the present and the future. Little wonder, the guest speaker at this year’s Speech Night, former Prime Minister, Professor Arthur Mutambara, urged students in schools to follow the footsteps of icons of the liberation struggle by remaining determined through pursuit of their dreams. Prof Mutambara spoke glowingly of the determination of liberation war fighters.
He could not be more correct. Education is a war against the ills of ignorance and poverty, but above all a war from mental slavery and therefore a liberation war par excellence.
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“Imagine the year is 1960 in Southern Rhodesia.
The Prime Minister is Edgar Whitehead, and the white racist regime is fully in control of the country. These are the days of the NDP – the National Democratic Party. A bunch of NDP men and women are sitting in a strategic liberation committee meeting.
“They include Joshua Nkomo, Ndabaningi Sithole, Thenjiwe Lesabe, Herbert Chitepo, Ruth Chinamano, Edgar Tekere, Robert Mugabe and Joseph Msika.
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“Someone says, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, comrades and friends — can the Southern Rhodesian regime of Prime Minister Edgar Whitehead be defeated by us? Do feasibility study and apply SWOT analysis.’
“What will the scientific outcome be? Obviously the answer will be, ‘Comrades, the odds are stacked against us. We cannot win. Let us pursue other vocations like farming, carpentry and teaching. Liberation and revolution are impossible!’
“Of course, the nationalists did not take that route. They freed themselves from self-doubt, embraced self-belief, threw caution to the wind, and soldiered on despite the odds. They refused to be victims of their circumstances,” he said.
In his presentation during that event which was titled, ‘The definition of success and what it takes to achieve it’, Professor Mutambara said the country’s independence was a result of the liberation war heroes’ resoluteness.
“They took charge of their lives, and made history. Even the brutal and more racist regimes of Winston Field from 1962 to 1964 and Ian Smith from 1964 to 1979 could not deter the nationalists, the freedom fighters, and the revolting masses of ordinary citizens, nor induce self-doubt in them.
They were determined and resolute, because they were free from self-doubt.
“The Independence of Zimbabwe in 1980 is their generational outcome. What a phenomenal testimony of the impact of the freedom from self-doubt. Freedom from self-doubt allows you to succeed better. It allows you to fail better. Failure must be embraced as an important part of a participatory existence. You are not a failure because you have failed. Failing better means you learn from the failure. The lack of success is redemptive. It presents an opportunity for lessons to be absorbed. Without failure there is no achievement, innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity. Do not be afraid to fail,” he said.
The Headmistress of Hillcrest College, Mrs Anne Holman, the Deputy Headmaster, Mr Obert Chipato, Hillcrest College students, parents, teachers, officials from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and teachers from neighbouring schools were present during the colourful ceremony held under floodlight.
Indeed a great speech, a befitting speech and an inspiring speech at an already great school.