The ManicaPost
Ray Bande, Senior Reporter
PRIVATELY-owned Knowstics Academy of Mutasa district turned the tables in the Zimsec Advanced Level examinations when they scooped pole position in Manicaland after 39 of their candidates scored 15 points or better in the 2019 results released recently.
These are the best qualitative results in the province.
In recent years, St Faith’s High of Rusape had been dominating the A-Level examinations results but their strong tradition of academic dominance has since been surpassed by Knowstics Academy this year.
According to the 2019 results, St Faith’s came in second position with a total of 37 candidates attaining 15 points or better while St Augustine’s High School, which came third, now seems to be waking up from its deep slumber with 35 of its candidates attaining 15 points or better.
St Faith’s High will engage in soul searching after a sharp decrease in qualitative results from 41 students scoring 15 points or better in the November 2018 A-Level examinations.
Kriste Mambo came fourth with a total of 28 candidates scoring 15 points or above while another girls’ high school, St David’s Bonda, is fifth with 19 students attaining 15 points or better.
In sixth position is Sakubva 1 High which had seven candidates that attained 15 points or better together with St Josephs’ Makoni which also achieved the same feat.
Mavhudzi High came eighth with five candidates attaining 15 points or better ahead of Nyanyadzi High School, which had four students that attained 15 points or better.
However, the quality of passes in Manicaland for the 2019 A-Level examination results surged drastically as 261 candidates attained 15 points or better when compared to 207 candidates the previous year and 169 and 122 in November 2017 and 2016, respectively.
Manicaland provincial education director Mr Edward Shumba commended day schools in both high-density suburbs as well as those in remote areas for producing impressive results.
“I think generally we did well as a province and I am proud of the results that we produced. What touched me most was the performance of day schools in both high-density suburbs as well as those in remote areas.
“A cursory analysis of the results shows that day schools in both high-density suburbs and those in remote areas have at least three candidates with 15 points or better. This is a remarkable improvement from what we have witnessed in the past.
“It is an achievement that we need to recognise and praise the teachers, learners and parents in these institutions,” he said.
Day schools such as Nyanyadzi High, Gaza High and St Dominic’s among others had candidates that scooped 15 points or better in results released recently.
Mr Shumba said Knowstics Academy’s achievement must be applauded considering that the school does not choose learners with impressive Form One or Form Five results in their enrolment processes.
“The most impressive thing about Knowstics Academy is that the school does not choose learners with impressive Form One or Form Five results in their enrolment processes. This is a privately owned institution and it is all about the parent’s resources for one to enrol their children at Knowstics,” he said.
