7 Zimbabwean students top Cambridge world rankings

Seven Zimbabwean students made history by scoring the highest marks in the world in the subjects they sat for in the November 2013 Ordinary Level examinations set and marked by Cambridge University's International Examinations board.

Although the results were released in March, the historic feat was only made known to the media last week. The history-makers who scored A-plus grades include Sizo Ncube (Christian Brothers College, Bulawayo), Rutendo Chiwota (Tynwald High School, Harare), and Ameera Wadiwala and Mahrya Abdulla (both Chisipite Senior School, Harare).

Others are Midlands Christian College's Tapiwa Mavhaire and Knowstics Academy (in Nyanga) students Chenai Karen Kaseke and Rudorwashe Bidemi Chinhara.

Ncube distinguished himself in IsiZulu; Chiwota in Agriculture; Wadiwala in Fashion and Fabrics and Abdulla in Food and Nutrition.

Mavhaire came tops in Physical Science, while Kaseke and Chinhara were the best Divinity and History students, respectively.

Mavhaire, who is already studying Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University in the United States, was elated when he communicated with The Sunday Mail via email."I was shocked to hear that I came out tops in the world for Physical Science," said Mavhaire.

"This was a subject that I had completely worked on by myself since my school didn't offer it. I believe it all came down to how badly I wanted to succeed."

Chiwota was equally ecstatic: "Hard work and determination are the secret to my success. At first I didn't like Agriculture because of the lot of work the subject entails, but as I got used to it, I fell in love with the subject."

Chiwota's teacher, Mrs Savie Mutuvira, weighed in, saying: "Chiwota's individual project was the best compared to his peers' and I feel this contributed to his success. Personally, I felt good about the award and am naturally elated."

Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rate in Africa at 91 percent with Tunisia following at 87 percent, according to the United Nations Development Programme.

The UNDP defines the literacy rate as the percentage of a country's population aged 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.

Zimbabwe owes much of its academic success to a deliberate education policy that President Mugabe's Government adopted at Independence in 1980.

Under the "education for all" policy, learning was spread countrywide following massive school construction and teacher training programmes.

The Zimbabwe Schools Examinations Council administers all public primary and secondary school exams, though Cambridge is offered for those who want to pursue that option.