The newly built entrance with a nightwatch shelter, and gates that have been daubed with a fresh coat of creamy white paint, send out a false signal about Moses Mnisi High School (MMHS).
In an impoverished area such as Acornhoek in Limpopo they suggest wealth and modernity. But as you pass the shiny exterior and walk around the block of classrooms a few metres further on, you are greeted by a completely different reality: gaping cracks in the walls, loose corrugated-iron roofing, missing doors and windowpanes, as well as decrepit furniture.The classrooms are bursting at the seams. The school still uses pit latrines. There are 1 590 learners and only 45 educators. By any standard, this is a recipe for disaster.
Most schools that perform badly use their crumbling facilities and overcrowded classrooms as an excuse. But to Harry Moyo, at the helm of MMHS, these are clearly no reasons to fail, since the school was honoured for its consistent improvement at the national Department of Education’s Most Improved Schools’ Award function in Pretoria in April.
“I was born and raised in this village and know very well that this is a poor area where learners come to school barefoot, some with no uniforms or having eaten nothing at their homes,” said Moyo.
“I realised that this is a vicious cycle that must be broken. I vowed to produce quality learners who would get automatic admissions at tertiary institutions. The fact that we have not produced a single medical doctor, engineer or accountant for our community did not sit well with me.”
Moyo shared his view with his staff and together they have never looked back. “I held a general staff meeting where I discussed this with teachers. I then had one-on-one meetings with them to understand their own personal concerns and addressed them. And today we are all pulling together in one direction,” said Moyo.
Their recent win in Pretoria marked a culmination of these efforts. For the school has not only been consistently producing distinctions and exemptions, but has also produced a record number of 33 merits. He said the successful learners are already studying engineering, psychology, accounting, law and information technology at the University of Limpopo.
Said Moyo: “In 2003 we produced 18 exemptions (80%) with one merit. In 2004 we got 54 exemptions (91,4%) with six merits. And last year we obtained 90 exemptions (92,8%) with 26 merits.”
Moyo strongly believes that parents are critical players in the educational machine. “I make sure parents fit into the scheme of things. And instead of calling a big parents meeting, I decided to call them grade by grade and appealed for their support. Today they feel they are part of the school and communicate with me freely about any problem they might have,” said Moyo.
The school has also introduced morning study sessions where grade 11 and 12 arrive at school as early as 6.20am before school officially starts at 7.30am. “I personally drive 49km and I arrive here at 5.50am to make sure the sessions take place. The idea is that, by June, grade 11 and 12 must have finished their syllabus – and I bet you even now some teachers must have already finished or are wrapping up,” said Moyo.
The remaining time is dedicated to tightening loose ends and coaching learners about technical aspects, such as the difference between “description” and “explanation” and other tricky questions.
But Moyo is not entirely satisfied. “If you analyse our performance critically you will realise that we are not doing well in critical subjects such as mathematics and science, and this is a concern to me. I am not trying to dampen the spirits of my learners, I just feel we should produce what the country needs.”
Last year only nine (42,9%) out of 21 learners passed science and five (21,7% – with one C and two Ds) out of 23 passed maths.
This year Moyo aims to get 100% pass rates in maths and science and has already started to work closely with teachers who are good in these subjects to come and teach at his school over weekends and during the holidays.