By Byron Mutingwende
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education officially opened David Mascott Country school after the private learning institution attained full compliance for registration.
Officially opening the school at a colourful ceremony on 29 November 2018, Mr Peter Nizira, the Deputy Provincial Education Director of Primary Schools in the Mashonaland West Province said the ministry was satisfied that David Mascott Country School had complied with all processes required for registration.
“I am happy that the school is now fully registered which makes me feel very humbled to be the one officially opening it today. The school has an enrolment of 160 learners comprising of 80 boys and 80 girls. This covers the full range of primary school classes from ECD right up to Grade 7.
“Our country has a shortage of learning facilities. Initiatives like this worthwhile investment will help bridge this shortage. We must applaud this noble idea of providing private schools like David Mascott Country School. The real beneficiaries are the learners whose lives will be positively impacted by such an investment,” Mr. Nizira said.
David Mascott Country School does not discriminate when enrolling since it has fully embraced the concept of inclusivity. The classrooms have ramps that are friendly to wheelchair users.
It has adequate numbers of fully qualified teaching staff to meet the ever-growing demand for places. The teaching staff is complemented by suitably qualified ancillary staff to fully support the learning environment. It also provides transport facilities for its learners.
“David Mascott Country School offers all the subjects prescribed in the updated curriculum. The curriculum is being fully implemented from ECD to Grade 4 following the Curriculum Framework for Primary and Secondary Education 2015-2022,” Mr Nizira added.
In giving the background of the school, Mr Trust Mandizvidza, a co-director of David Mascott Country School said the school enrolment had grown in leaps and bounds since 2016 when it opened its door to learners because it offers impressive customer care and desires to bring about a well-rounded child in terms of education.
“We have registered a number of success stories to date. Our vision is being turned into reality. In that vision we seek to be the most sought-after school in the region; and to develop a citizen who is well rounded and able to contribute positively in the development of the country and the world at large.
“Over a period of one year, our sister school Good Care Pre-school and the co-director, Mrs Getrude Mandizvidza have received eight awards and this bears testimony to our commitment to providing quality education,” Mr Mandizvidza said.
The school is providing meaningful development and employment in the community. Most importantly it is impacting positively on the lives of young people. David Mascott launched the Inaugural Sports and Wellness Day and runs a community beneficiation programme targeting the less privileged.
Heads of nearby schools graced the official opening. Mrs Vimbai Geza from Vimbai High School in Norton said the infrastructure at David Mascott was inclusive and inspiring and it was important to learn best practices of fostering inclusivity from the school. Mr. Shingirai Shamu, the Headmaster of Vimbai Primary School weighed in and underscored the need for the new school to join the National Association of Primary School Heads so as to foster sport development in the district.
Ms Monica Tagwirei, the Headmistress of Dudley Hall Primary School encouraged David Mascott to turn into a boarding school and network with established schools through workshops in the implementation of the new curriculum and hold seminars for students.
David Mascott Country School is constructing a state-of-the-art sports facility to include a dedicated sports centre. There are also plans to build a multi-media centre; school hall; dormitories and an integrated IT system.
The developments are in sync with a widely held view that within 30 years, Africa will account for more than half of the world’s population growth according to a recent United Nations study. By that same time, the continent will be home to over one billion youths under the age of 18.