The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure Senior Reporter
VENGERE High is at the top of the list when it comes to producing sporting gems and remains one institution that ensures that students succeed on the play-field as well as get a good education.
By and large, students need a school where they will feel confident and comfortable both on the field of play and in the classroom.
The man at the helm of Vengere High which is arguably the biggest secondary school in Rusape with 1216 students — Mr Edmore Mangwende, prides in his school as a factory for youngsters envying to turn professional.
“Young players prefer a school where the coaches teach a style of soccer that enables them to play professionally and at Vengere High they play and learn a lot. With the help of parents, we have invested in a soccer academy with a view to tap, develop and accrue value from raw talent awash in Rusape,” said Mr Mangwende.
“We have students that have made it at international, regional, national and provincial levels in various sporting disciplines, and we are continuing in that trajectory and make our presence at any sporting event permanent. Even average players and athletes that passed through the Vengere High gates have achieved their sporting dreams with belief, hard work and persistence,” said Mr Mamgwende, adding that the passion for sport is incredible, and their biggest advantage was that their coaches have developed other professionals in the past and remain capable of grooming youngsters until they bloom. There is nothing more exhilarating than hearing the chants and roars of supporters in a stadium packed with tens of thousands of people rallying behind the school team. The school offers sporting disciplines like soccer, net, base, volley, basket and handball; tennis, darts, rugby, cricket, tennis, chess, and athletics, among others.
Vengere High is both a sporting and academic bastion buoyed by a definiteness of purpose, persistence, and a burning intrinsic desire for translation of the little human legs and minds into sporting and intellectual bloomers and critical thinkers after six years of incubation. It also promotes socio-spiritual cohesion and tolerance and trains students in vocations such as agriculture, building, food and nutrition, fashion and fabrics, computer science, metal work, and technical graphics — with special focus to ensure that students acquire expertise that is related to productivity and prepare them for jobs at a tender age. This has adequate employment potentialities as it broadens students’ horizons.
Vision
To be a leading educational institution in Makoni District offering high quality and relevant secondary education through a diversified curriculum
School Mission statement
To democratise educational opportunities and equalise life chances through provision of high quality and relevant secondary education by means of a diversified curriculum which enables the child to acquire knowledge skills, norms, values and behaviours deemed necessary to live worthwhile lives at personal, family and national level.
Enrolment
The school has an enrolment of 1216 students of which 635 are boys and 581 are girls — against a teaching establishment of 59 full time teachers, 12 ancillary personnel and 18 students from Great Zimbabwe University, Mutare Teachers, College, Belvedere Teachers’ College and the Zimbabwe Open University.
Academic performance
The O level pass rate was 17.14 percent in 2010, 28.51 percent in 2011, 21.86 percent in 2012, 33.97 percent in 2013, 20.18 percent in 2014 and 23 percent in 2015. The school was conferred A Level status in 1999 and the pass rate was 91.11 in 2011, 79 percent in 2012, 79.7 percent in 2013, 75 percent in 2014 and 86.6 in 2015. The 2015 HEXCO pass rate for computer operations and packages was 90, 06 percent and 100 percent, respectively. The school offers 20 subjects at O level, 17 at A level including sciences, and 10 Tech Vocs.
Arts and Culture
Vengere High also value arts and culture education not only on the basis that it has social or economic benefits, but that it also expands the mind and soul. A good education includes a good arts education (introducing children and young people to great literature novels, poetry and short stories, plays, drama, music, dance, visual arts, music, film.
Vengere High has won arts accolades at district, provincial and national levels and continues to expose its students to the best there is in as many artistic disciplines as possible given their key role in moral and individual development and deeper commitment to humanist principles.
SDC as the engine room
development
The School Development Committee has proved to be a vital cog of the education system given the critical role it play to build, develop and maintain school infrastructure and support teaching and learning.
The SDC levy maintains the school and the idea behind SDCs was to give parents a say on how much they would pay towards school development.
SDC immediate past achievements
Construction of two bilateral blocks for ‘A’ level students.
Constructed a two-in-one (manual/digital) weather station.
Purchased an 18-seater kombi to compliment the 56-seater bus.
Construction of a 110m stretch of face brick pre-cast wall.
Connected the school library to internet for use by teachers and students.
Purchased 15 library laptops.
Purchased and installed four gas and one electric stoves for the Food and Nutrition department
Hosted Provincial Athletics competitions in 2014
Hosted Provincial Copa Coca cola soccer competitions in 2014
Built a multi-purpose sport court
Purchased 200 new chairs for students and new furniture the Head and the Deputy Head’s offices.
Constructed the science department fish pond
Biggest challenge of non-payment of school fees
The economic challenges blighting the nation are having a toll effect on Vengere High’s capacity to mobilise monetary resources to finance its operations as parents struggle to pay school fees. At some point the school revenue collection dipped to 12 percent.
“It’s a headache, parents are not paying fees, and some are not even coming to make payments plans. We have agreed as the SDC to introduce gate passes, because at 12 percent, the school will crumble,” said the SDC treasurer Mr Isaac Mlambo.
Power cuts disturbing practical lessons
Continuous water cuts — risk on staff and students
Shortage of land to expand sport fields and additional infrastructure like school hall
Aspirations
Building a bilateral block
Constructing a multi- purpose hall
Construction of a pre-cast wall around school yard
Purchasing brand new bus
Generator
