The ManicaPost
Morris Mtisi Post Correspondent—
PERHAPS not quite back yet! But the 2016 ‘A’ Level results point at an old institution which for many years was known as an historic academic power house coming back to life.Mr Arnold Makamba led a winning team to victory. Well done! Congratulations! Amhlope! Makorokoto!
The sweetest part of the good story is that Tsambe is now breathing hot on St Faith’s neck coming as it did in 2016 second to it and second best in Manicaland Province. The old school to which history remembers if you did not go to Tsambe you did not go to school-kana usina kufunda kwaTsambe hauna kuenda kuskuru, was the best in Mutasa District. If that does not speak of quality and excellence, nothing will ever do. The Tsambe old academic glory is indeed revisiting the institution and no one can be happier in his grave than Father Prosser.
All who loved and still love the school vanodada nekachikoro karipamusoro pekakomo-who are proud of the centre of academic equilibrium perched on top of a hill near the gold-mine of Redwing Penhalonga are pleasantly shocked to see Santa resurrecting from eternal academic death.
The old system of compiling pass rates in schools seemingly ‘hit-parading’ them as it were is no more. And to those who banned the ‘hit parade’ show thank you for finally seeing the unreasonableness of such a practice. Some of us who had been shouting from the terraces for years were beginning to think we were wrong to condemn the practice of comparing gold and copper. So while we have no idea of who are in the top 10, 20 or top 100, we do know no one beat St Faith’s which scooped a whooping 29 fifteen pointers, their highest, one Gawa Rukudzo with 29 points. We also know Tsambe beat the colourful Marist Brothers characteristically used to being the flipside of St Faith’s in the country and province.
The story has changed and changed not only interestingly but deservedly. Tsambe was the best in the country for many years in the past feeding the nation with the best of economists, doctors, engineers, lawyers and politicians. History has that on record.
Doubting Thomases, wear your spectacles and look at the tabulated summary of the 2016 results:
Then the devil intervened. Wrangles started between and amongst authorities and things fell apart. Tsambe became an ordinary school no better than the best in the worst of rural areas of the country.
The wrangling and ‘fist-fighting’ for power continued leaving what can only best be described as topsy-turvy. Tsambe deteriorated into a ruin in every sense of the word with teachers and parents forming factions and at each other’s throat. And as the elephants continued to fight the grass continued to suffer.
What news can be sweeter than that in the 2016 ‘A’ Level results, Tsambe became second in the province only afraid of saying good morning to the indomitable St Faith’s?
34 students fell between the 15 and 14 point range, with two getting 20 and 19 each; Kupakuwana Panashe D. with four straight As in Mathematics, Furthermathematics, Physics and Chemistry and Chikwava Jubilant T. running away with 19- three As in Mathematics, physics and Chemistry and a B in Accounts. 15 students were on 15 and above points and 29 on 14 points. Though St Faith’s 29 fifteen pointers as way off ahead, Beware the Ides of Santa! The spirit of yesteryears is coming back and coming back hard. Watch out Fisco! The Manica Post wishes to congratulate Mr Arnold Makamba for commanding a winning ‘armed’ force. And well done to the steadfast and hardworking teachers! Especially the Science and Commercial Subjects teachers! Whoever is not proud of you is only an enemy. You fought a good fight! Speaking to The Manica Post recently, Mrs Fatima Tizora, a senior teacher now, but at the thick of all the wonderful work then as deputy head attributed the excellent results to discipline and focus. Said Mrs Tizora: “We clamped down on the students to remain disciplined and focused on their work. We allowed no gaps or space for idle mischief and tightly clamped down on them where it was necessary but also simply guided and counselled them to develop seriousness of purpose.”
Veteran senior teacher and one-time acting head, Mr Maurice Chakawa, cited night studies supervision as another factor that gave Tsambe such brilliant examination results.
“We ended the boys-girls together study after realising they were concentrating on each other rather than on their books. So we introduced boys alone and girls alone studies. And it worked miracles in performance,” said the no-nonsense disciplinarian and seasoned Tsambe teacher who believes in being warm and loving but firm.
So separating goats from hyenas can foster discipline in a boys and girls school? There you are other boarding schools who may be going through a similar challenge of students concentrating on each other than on books.
The deputy head, Mr Arnold Makamba who was head when all the good fight was being fought and his team of senior teachers did not forget to give credit to the teaching staff which they described as now united, focused and committed to becoming straight shooters and sure-footed goal getters.
The new headmaster, Mr S. Chirombe, hardly two weeks in office at the time of going to the press spelt out his new vision and priority areas to The Manica Post. “My first point of call is infrastructural development. The buildings here are very old and in bad shape. A thorough facelift will certainly create a better and more comfortable learning environment and will surely contribute at creating even better examination results,” said Mr Chirombe.
“My second worry and concern is improvement of the transport service in the school. The fleet consists of ramshackle vehicles, especially the 1940 bus which students are afraid of and regard as a laughing stock in this day and age where almost every school including primary schools are proud owners of spanking new Yutong buses. We must have a new bus by end of June this year (2017),” said the new St Augustine’s headmaster.
I asked the new headmaster if the new curriculum implementation is all plain sailing, or is the school experiencing challenges.
“Except for lack of relevant books in certain learning areas and other resources, we are spot on the new curriculum,” Mr Chirombe said.
“The teachers are busy finding the resources to suit the new syllabi and curriculum demands.”
He cited Religious Studies which used to be mainly Synoptic gospels, but has moved on to include even Muslim and other religions, making it too new and to some teachers even strange.
“We simply don’t have the books or teaching-learning material. That is our challenge.” The Science bias illustrated by the Tsambe ‘A’ Level results and the number of As and Bs in this area is encouraging, but worrisome; encouraging because that is what STEM initiative expects and worrisome because the ‘Arts’ is literally dead. If all schools and students end up being engineers, computer scientists, doctors and engineers, where will social workers, journalists, teachers, preachers and lawyers come from? Food for serious thought!
As we congratulate Tsambe for a job well done in 2016, we hope the same or better will be for future years. We also pray that the administrative in-fights and power struggles within struggles be a thing of the past. When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers; the old adage says it all. Every ear is tired of news or rumour about fights among brothers and sisters who should know best how to be role models of Christian love, prayerful tolerance and teamwork. Meanwhile, The Manica Post wishes the great Santa greater prospects of success and academic resurrection.
