Science Project Case

Over 80% of students from most rural schools of Zimbabwe are failing their final O’ Level exams mainly due to a critical shortage of or nonexistent learning materials. In particular, the learning of science has been greatly affected and far reaching consequences are inevitable as shown by the diagram below.

Like most rural secondary schools in Zimbabwe, Chikwidibire secondary school has recorded zero pass rates in O’ Level science subjects for the past five years.  The deputy headmaster Mr Shayamano, attributes this failure to lack of science learning materials, from books to basic laboratory equipment for experiments. Final exams are being written without a single experiment having been done which makes it very difficult for students to record any passes.

Effect of failing science exams

The national output for science biased graduates from high schools in Zimbabwe has dropped rapidly in the past five years (40% on average) resulting in a short supply of important industry professionals like engineers and medical doctors. This can only be a negative to a nation already in economic meltdown characterised by record breaking inflation in millions.

Furthermore, of the few students that have recently graduated as doctors, 50% are now plying their trade outside the country in the UK, South Africa or other countries that offer better financial rewards. This has left a huge gap locally and the rural folk have been hit the hardest as they have been left with lowly staffed clinics and hospitals.

Our vision

‘‘Educate the poor’’

A sound education for creative science and technology is a foundation that has to be laid early in the poor communities to empower them to fight poverty and develop themselves. The basic needs of the marginalised community can only be met through improvement of the productive capacity of the very same people, the poor. Their productive capacity is partly a function of their technological appreciation and competence, which feeds directly from the quality of science and technology education they receive at school. It is this basic science and technology education that Educated Horizon is seeking to promote mostly through improving science and technology teaching-learning infrastructure in poor schools

The Project

School Science Enhancement

After detailed research, Educated Horizon has chosen to initially work with 5 different schools in rural Mashonaland East and Masvingo Provinces of Zimbabwe. All the 5 schools are in desperate need for help but would act as torch bearers if assisted for the benefit of their respective education and socio-economic communities.

Goal

To promote the learning and utilisation of basic science through the provision of adequate and relevant school teaching-learning infrastructure to schools serving poor communities in rural Zimbabwe.

Objectives

1. Raise O’ Level science pass rates to at least 70% for all five schools by 2013.
2. Raise A’ Level science pass rates to at least 90% for all three schools by 2013.
3. Build or repair junior and senior science laboratories for all five schools by 2011 with enough capacity for enrolled students.
4. Equip and stock adequate experiment apparatus and consumables for all laboratories upon completion of building or repairing the laboratories.
5. Promote schools to host science exhibitions that encourage innovativeness within said schools, neighbouring schools and the local communities.
6. Build a replication model that would help other school communities in future.

Brief background of schools

Guzha Secondary School – A quasi government school (council/local government) of 400 students located 33 km from Gutu growth point in Masvingo Province. The school has experienced a bizarre shortage of science learning material much evidenced by the zero science pass rates since it was built 6 years ago.

Chikwidibire Secondary School – Remotely situated in a farming area of Chikomba district, 60km from the local town Chivhu, the school has neared closure several times in the past few years due shortages of learning materials. The Head admits that Science might be part of the curriculum, but it’s virtually impractical to teach it.

Libernburg High School – located in a small transit town called Chivhu and 141km from the capital Harare, Libenburg serves a 12km radius of subsistence farming communities. All 1000 students at the school are having difficulties in learning science due to a shortage of science learning materials ranging from text books to basic test tubes.

Gutu High School - Established many years ago by the then Dutch Reformed Church which is now the Reformed Church of Zimbabwe, the school is seven kilometres away from the small town (development centre) of Gutu-Mupandawana. Known of its leading educational success within the local community, Gutu High is facing critical shortages of science learning materials and pass rates are going down significantly.

St. Francis of Assisi High School - Established many years ago by the Catholic Church, the school is 31 kilometres away from a local transit town, Chivhu. The school currently faces critical shortages of science learning materials and being a local educational torch bearer; Assisi is failing to serve as a science resource centre to its strong farming community.

Summary of Requirements

Project Manager: Bright Dzinotyiwei   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
(Chief Physics examiner with the Zimbabwe Examination Council - ZIMSEC)