Mpopoma High continues to excel in Zimsec A-level exams

MPOPOMA High School in Bulawayo continues to assert itself as one of the top A-level schools, not only in the city but across the country, posting impressive results each year.

The school recorded a 98,7 percent pass rate, five percent above the national average pass rate in the Zimsec November 2016 examinations whose results were released last week. Although A-level schools' rankings, based on Zimsec examinations, were not immediately available, Mpopoma's outstanding performance is there for all to see.

In 2014, when Zimsec last ranked schools' examination performances, Mpopoma made it into the top 100 with a pass rate of 97,3 percent. The following year the school slumped to a 94,2 percent pass rate, but improved by 4,5 percent in 2016.

While doubting Thomases may ask if anything good can come out of the ghetto, the school, etched in the middle of Mpopoma high density suburb, provides an apt response. With the school's best pupil in the 2016 Zimsec scoring 23 points from five subjects, just two points behind the previous year's best performer at the school, Mpopoma High School's reputation of producing "nerds" remains undoubted.

Out of the more than 150 pupils who sat for the 2016 Zimsec November A-level examinations at the school, 100 candidates scored 10 points and above. A total of 14 candidates had 15 points, 12 with 14 points, 21 with 13 points, 19 with 12 points, 18 with 11 points and 16 with 10 points.The school recorded its highest number of distinctions in Mathematics (24), iSiNdebele (24) Business Studies (14) and Literature in English (13). Mpopoma High school is certainly living up to its motto, Vela Mfundo, which when loosely translated to English means show up education (and we embrace you).

While other schools control their enrolment numbers for A-level classes as a way of managing results, Mpopoma's "bambazonke" approach hardly affects pupils' performance.

Last year the school had a total enrolment of 2 060 pupils, with each A-level class having an average of 50 pupils, more than double the desired number. The school has a staff complement of 82 teachers superintending a pupil population equaling that of two if not three schools.

This has obviously put a strain on the school's resources, but through hard work and improvisation, the school has rose above the challenges to excel academically.

School head Mr Christopher Dube shared with Sunday News the school's recipe to success.

"I think it goes down to a culture of hard work and discipline that we have managed to achieve this. Our values are dedication, transparency, open mindedness, co-operation, honesty and respect. Those are our compasses in everything we do here," he said.