Sydney Mubaiwa
MIDLANDS BUREAU CHIEF
GWERU-There was pomp and fanfare at Anderson Adventist High School in Gweru on Thursday as the institution received the Secretary’s merit Award for the third time, the highest Government accolade conferred to a school for delivering the highest standards of excellence in a province.
The Secretary’s Merit Award is a quality control and supervisory tool that recognises schools for excellency as models that the rest of schools in the country should emulate.
Anderson High School started in 1950 on a 2-hectare piece of land along the Bulawayo – Harare Highway as a privately owned school before relocating to the current site along the Mvuma – Gweru Road.
The school with boarding facilities has an enrollment of 371 students.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Tumisang Thabela presented the coveted award and unveiled a plaque at the school.
Part of the package also included the head, Caxton Mukasvanga’s tablet and a certificate of excellence, 40 tablets for pupils, an electronic interactive board, a projector and a teacher’s laptop.
Speaking at the ceremony, Thabela highlighted some of the school’s high spots that saw it emerging as the best high school in the province.
“Key attributes that have led to Anderson landing this prestigious Award include the creation of a child – friendly environment, a consistently high pass rate, linking academics with the world of work and the impartation of life skills in preparation for the pupils’ future among others.
“This position dovetails well with the philosophy of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, that revolves around skills development,” she said.
Thabela said the Ministry also recognized the school’s excellence on the academic side.
“It is noteworthy that this school is being awarded the Secretary’s Bell for the third time which demonstrates the school’s commitment to excellence with the head also being awarded the accolade for the second time with two different schools.
“It shows he is indeed a champion head. Anderson Adventist High School is unique in that for almost a decade now, the school has been scoring an average of 100% at Advanced Level and an average of 96% pass rate at Ordinary Level,” she said.
The school was also recognized for fully implementing the competence – based curriculum which has seen pupils being equipped with skills in poultry, fish farming, crop husbandry, contemporary dancing among others.
” It is pleasing to note that the school is determined to ensure maximum involvement of pupils in school projects like horticulture, doing apiary aquaculture, hatchery, orchard, poultry among other life skill imparting projects.
“The Ministry applauds your aspiration to have these projects fully developed to a level where parents will pay less fees and being self-sufficient in all forms as the agriculture department supplies the boarding sector with its products,” she said.
Mukasvanga expressed his gratitude and thanked the School Development Committee members for their contribution towards the development of the school.
” I would like to appreciate everyone who has contributed in whatever form towars the clinching of this much coverted merit award.
“This is an encouragement for us to continue blossoming forever,” he said.
Mukasvanga was first awarded with the same accolade in 2010 when he headed Nyahuni Adventist High School in Mash East.