Alpha Institute: Showcasing relevance, reputation
BY VARIOUS designed methods, ideals and strategies, Alpha Institute transforms young individuals into robust academic, vocational and life-long learning trustees of its own resources. They say every school is as good as its head. Mr Nangisayi Marange stands for an education that is a fostering, nurturing and cultivating process. He and the institute speak of rearing, raising, bringing up. The results are vertical purpose, impeccable drive and visible achievement.
His educational and moral telescope is God-driven, explicitly seeing into the complex business of teaching and learning which produces whole exit profiles. He commands a school which fosters and inspires student success and creating diverse opportunities for lifelong learning.
It is no wonder Mr Marange is the chairman of independent colleges in Manicaland Province. It is no wonder too that Alpha Institute is a model of not only academic equilibrium, but a beacon of excellence in second-chance education and revised curriculum compliance.
That Alpha leads - the others follow, is not an advertising slogan or gimmick. It is evident truth in the eyes of all who appreciate school best practices.
Speaking at the 10th anniversary of the institute’s existence and Speech and Prize-Giving Day, Mr Marange proudly boasted excellent academic results, practical acceptance of the revised curriculum, the institute’s emphasis on spiritual and moral development of learners, robust co-curricular and a vibrant welfare fund.
“The 2016 ‘O’ and ‘A’ Level results registered a significant improvement scoring 100 percent for ‘A’ Level and 42 percent at ‘O’ Level,” Mr Marange said.
“We are grateful that the pioneer group of our vocational technical courses scored a 100 percent pass rate in Fashion and Fabrics,” he added.
“I also want to heartily thank our parent Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education for the numerous revised curriculum workshops they held to equip our staff.”
Mr Marange announced that the teachers and learners at Alpha Institute were braced for the projects and tasks encompassed in the new curriculum.
On spiritual emphasis, the Seventh Day Adventist Christian principal himself thanked school chaplain, Mr Nyazika, for the vibrant life-changing programmes in the school.
“One hundred and twelve students graduated in the school’s valuable Bible Study Courses called Voice of Prophecy and 17 students recommitted their lives to Christ through baptism,” Mr Marange revealed.
About co-curricular the principal again proudly boasted the accolades won by the Debating and Public Speaking Club which once again came out tops in the district competitions and second in the provincial competitions organised by the Environmental Management Agencies (EMA), scooping many prizes including prize money.
“Our school also contributed three junior councillors of the City of Mutare and current Mayoress, Lower Six Honourable Mazvita Mufundirwa,” the principal announced.
Speaking to the audience in both fluent Shona and English, before the guest speaker, Provincial Education Director Mr Edward Shumba acknowledged the sterling work done by Alpha Institute to complement Government’s effort to provide top-shelf education. He touched on the revised curriculum which is under full implementation and continuous assessment reminding parents to guide their children with homework and other research tasks.
“However, do not to give them answers or write for them,” he warned. “If a child asks you a question, guide him or her to find out the answer or answers for themselves. If you give them answers and they do well, who has done well, the child or parent?” the PED asked.
Mr Shumba also reminded parents that while Government clearly against excluding learners from learning because they have not paid school fees, it should be equally clear that schools run on the wheels of their fees. “Parents need not be reminded to play their part in the education of their children,” he said. “Pay the fees - it’s that simple and straight forward.”
The guest speaker, also principal of Mutare Polytechnic, Ms Poniso Watema, took the opportunity to encourage the girl learner not to allow even the sky to mark the limit for the girl learner. She confidently chronicled her brave rise from humble beginnings to where she is now citing examples of fighting and struggling; but finally making it to the top.
“I haven’t yet started. This is only the beginning of my journey to the top - wait and see,” she said to an attentive and visibly emulating audience of women and girls convinced that women are as good as men, and can easily even be better.
ALPHA Institute boasts a long list of alumni achievers; heroes and heroines who are living testimony of the glory and pride the school enjoys today.
Nyasha Zisengwe is Alpha’s first 20-pointer in Pure Sciences. He is studying at the University of Zimbabwe. He has earned several awards at the UZ.
Onai Hara, former captain is another UZ student pursuing Social Sciences. She initiated a trust to champion the rights of the deaf and dump and now runs a program on ZTV taking her vision to the nation.
Terence Mukanganwa once a high profile debater at Alpha, is studying in the USA.
Kudzai Mkwata attained the highest marks in Southern Africa in the November 2012 Cambridge Accounting examination.
He is currently studying with the University of Cape Town, a top-tier university in Africa.
Former school captain Trevor James Tadiwanashe came out world No. 3 in the Universities Competitions in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in December 2014.
He made history by being the youngest student to be appointed Minister of Student Affairs, after all being in the first year of his studies at Midlands State University.
A former prefect, Takudzwa Kamangira, has phenomenally risen to stardom in the UK, Croydon-London where on arrival she formed a trust to unlock the potential of the girl child.
She now runs a fully fledged consultancy firm in the UK. Her efforts have been recognised by the Lloyds Banking Group which awarded her a top job which is reserved for university graduates.
If a school champions social responsibility and leadership training, secures university links with many universities worldwide and produces candidates for heaven, what more would you want for an educational institution? Alpha Institute has not only come of age. It is a perfect showcase of all-round relevance and reputation. Go Alpha-Go!