Chibuwe, a Technical High School in the making
ONE of the reasons that pushed Zimbabweans to take up arms against the belligerent white regime was to equalise opportunities in the provision of education for the majority blacks.
From this background, Chibuwe Secondary School came into being in 1979 as the Second Chimurenga ended.
In the early 1970s, Gideon Maforo Mhlanga had built his own secondary school to help the disadvantaged Chipinge Primary School learners access secondary education.
Headman Phineas Mwandiona Mutorwa Chibuwe donated a piece of land for the construction of the secondary school which is now morphing into a technical college.
Mr Nelson Bangidza Dhliwayo was the founding head and the School Development Committee (SDC) chair was Mr Gideon Kaiboni.
The current head, Mr NeedmoreMaposa, is one of the first learners at the school. Mr Gift Dhliwayo is the deputy head. Opening with 200 learners in 1979, Chibuwe only had Form One and Form Two classes, which was consistent with the education policy of that time.
Form One was purely academic as it prepared the learners for white collar jobs. The Form Two syllabi prepared learners for self-employment and job creation. Sadly, the Form Two curriculum was discontinued after 1980 at the dawn of independence.
From an initial enrolment of 200 with Mr Needmore Maposa as the inaugural head boy, the school has grown in leaps and bounds.
It now enrolls 2 030 learners - 1 100 girls and 930 boys.
Evidently, the girl child is at the centre of what is happening at Chibuwe High School judging by the enrolment.
A total of 62 teachers are on the Public Service Commission payroll, while the SDC caters for 18 other teachers.
A number of student teachers from colleges and universities are mentored by a group of highly qualified teachers at the school.
School vision
To achieve skills development, innovation, job creation and entrepreneurship by 2026.
Philosophy behind the vision
The teachers, learners and the wider community strive to leave a positive legacy.
History will judge the current generation harshly if they leave this planet with unfinished business. Zimbabwe should be rebuilt for the sake of posterity. Notwithstanding the recruitment procedures which take everyone on board, the pass-rate at 'O' Level hovers between 40 and 80 percent, while at 'A' Level it fluctuates between 90 and 100 percent. Almost every year, 400 plus candidates sit for their 'O' Level examinations, while 200 plus sit for their 'A' Level examinations.
Projects at the school
The SDC, ably led by Mr Phainas Bote Sithole, has been a brother in arms in the struggle to make Chibuwe High School a 21st Century Technical High School.
It is important to note that the previous SDC that was under the chairmanship of Mr Edmore Muvheyo had an eye for development as well. Consequently, the development trajectory was never in doubt.
Among the other projects that are being done at the school is a piggery, poultry, hotel and catering, horticulture, livestock fattening, carpentry, fish production, rabbits and metal work.
The school intends to introduce international languages for the learner to be able to interact with the global village. Some of the languages that are envisaged to come on board are Portuguese, Mandarin, Swahili, French and Spanish. In the same vein, now that Chibuwe High School has volunteered to be a pilot
Technical High School, it is now seeking to have Higher Education Examinations Council (HEXCO) as one of the examining bodies for the various technical subjects. A Journalism School is on the cards as well.
Along with journalism, law will be an examinable subject at the school in the near future.
Mr Tonje Sifelani, known by his moniker 'Magigwana', is in charge of projects and has overseen the metamorphosis as the school grew from being a buyer of vegetables and eggs to become a seller and donor in the community.
He is a qualified History and Philosophy teacher.
From humble beginnings, Chibuwe High School has scaled to dizzy heights that would have been unthinkable way back in 1979 after it joined Mount Selinda, Chikore, Ratelshoek, Jersey and Gazaland as the only secondary schools in Chipinge.