Concerned parents in Mangwe District are worried about the Grade Seven results produced at Mkaya Primary School, which are below the national average and are seeking intervention from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
The parents and guardians are proposing that the school head, Clemencia Sibanda and the School Development Committee (SDC) be dismissed as they are failing to provide leadership.
In February this year, the parents in collaboration with Mkaya Old Students’ Association (MOSA) wrote to the Mangwe District Schools Inspectorate (DSI), Danisa Nkomo, expressing their desire to improve the grade seven pass rate while creating a conducive learning–teaching environment for learners, teachers, staff and parents.
Their concern is, despite collaborative efforts by the Rural District Council, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, non-governmental organisations, and parental engagement through the SDC, Mkaya Primary School has consistently struggled to meet national academic benchmarks.
“Despite the presence of qualified teachers, the grade seven pass rate for 2023 is a mere 11.11 per cent. This is significantly below the national average of 45.57 per cent,” said Mzingaye Tshuma, chairperson of MOSA, which was established in 2004 and has played a pivotal role in facilitating infrastructural advancements at the school.
“The pass rate trend was 11 per cent in 2014; 25 per cent in 2015; 20.6 per cent in 2016; 28.6 per cent in 2017; 27.3 per cent in 2018; 15 per cent in 2021 and 4.76 per cent in 2022.”
Tshuma said their efforts were to enhance access to essential resources for both learners and teachers.
“We implore the Ministry to intervene and provide support to Mkaya Primary School in addressing these challenges, prioritising the improvement of academic performance and ensuring equitable educational opportunities for all learners,” he said.
In the letter sent to Mangwe DSI, the parents and MOSA said they “strongly advocate for introducing new leadership at Mkaya Primary School, believing that fresh perspectives could greatly enhance academic outcomes, even amidst resource constraints.”
“We believe new ideas and a new SDC will help create a conducive, inclusive, learning–teaching environment for learners, teachers, staff and parents. It will inject fresh ideas and drive for developing infrastructure, mobilising resources, handling school finances and managing conflict.”
When asked if the DSI responded to their letter, a MOSA committee member, Mkuleko Hikwa, lamented that the school inspector had not responded officially to their letter.
“Our intention was to advocate for enhanced teamwork between the school and stakeholders to work collaboratively. We are grateful the education ministry and Public Service Commission provided the school with a set of qualified teachers. But they must address conflict between the head and other teachers resulting in them leaving or transferring,” he said.
When reached for comment, the Mangwe DSI refrained from providing a statement due to protocol.
Director of Communications and Advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Taungana Ndoro, said in order to improve the learning environment and address low performance in Grade 7 in Mkaya it is critical for communities and parents to work together.
“This may involve providing additional resources, teacher training, infrastructure development, and fostering a supportive educational ecosystem. Active involvement and support from parents and guardians can positively influence pupils’ academic performance. Lack of parental engagement may impact pupils’ motivation and educational progress,” said the ministry spokesperson.
Ndoro also noted that since parents elect and make up the SDC, it is possible that parents are ‘unintentionally’ blaming themselves.
“When addressing poor performance at Grade 7 in Mkaya Village in Mangwe, it is important for parents, and communities to collaborate and implement strategies to improve the learning environment. The SDC is elected by parents and comprises parents therefore the parents may be inadvertently casting blame on themselves,” he said.
However, the MOSA committee said it has done several initiatives to modernise learning facilities at Mkaya such as construction of classrooms and teachers’ offices in 2008 and 2023 respectively, providing electricity to the teachers’ cottages and administration block.
“Our intention was to advocate for enhanced teamwork between the school and stakeholders to work collaboratively. We are grateful the education ministry and Public Service Commission provided the school with a set of qualified teachers. But they must address conflict between the head and other teachers resulting in them leaving or transferring,” said Hikwa.
A parent who wished to remain anonymous for the sake of her child at the school said it is worrying how the school regarded a learner with an average of 20 points as the best pupil.
“We wrote to authorities urging to change the school head because she is the one who must motivate teachers and work with the parents,” she said.
“When schools closed last year, no meeting took place even this year when schools opened. The SDC is also not communicating with parents and they keep changing the meeting dates just to frustrate us.”
Meanwhile, MOSA also called for measured use of the school facilities for only projects that are linked to the education of the learners and teaching and the community such as the nutrition garden, chickens, big and small livestock.
“There is concern that the school head is using the cottage for personal projects: chickens, cattle and goats. We note she was allocated a homestead in the village –seemingly controversially as needy children of the village were bypassed,” said the association.
“There is also alleged disappearance of donated assets such as the engine pump. The school’s asset register with a list of all property acquired/donated to the school must be presented at the SDC Annual General Meeting where parents must be consulted and approve all infrastructure projects that benefit the school and community.”
