Gweru - Education

Education

The primary and secondary system of education has not changed much in structure for several decades. Schools in Gweru subscribe to the same British system of education as the rest of the nation. Students spend seven years in primary education and four (Ordinary Level) or six (Advanced Level) years in secondary depending on the level of education they choose to reach. Until the 1990s 'O' and 'A' level exams were administered by two major British examination bodies, the Associated Examination Body (AEB) and Cambridge University. These are now examined locally by the Zimbabwe Education Board.

Before 1980 schools were divided into two groups. Group A schools were the former all-white or mixed-race schools and Group B schools the former black schools. The difference lay mainly in the curriculum and facilities available. Group A schools generally had more facilities, particularly in the non-core teaching areas such as art, music and sport. Of particular emphasis is the sporting area in which former Group B schools taught mainly athletics, football and netball whilst the Group A schools had a wider range of sporting activities including athletics, tennis, swimming, diving, lacrosse, gymnastics, hockey, rugby, cricket, netball, basketball and cross-country. There has not been much change in this provision since independence.

It is incorrect to state that schools were divided on racial grounds before "Independence"; although that was the perceived situation. Blacks who chose to send a child to what became "Group A" schools could do so provided that the child passed a test in which he demonstrated a reasonable profiency in the English language. Also black children who demonstrated academic excellence in what became "Group B" schools were placed in the school best equipped to further their studies.

Cambridge University did not unilaterally cease marking Zimbabwean school certificate examinations. Mugabe claimed that the poor results obtained were due to racial prejudice and set up the Zimbabwe Education Board.

Nursery schools

• Mimosa Nursery School
• Dominican Nursery School
• Gweru Nursery School
• Midlands Pre-School

Primary schools

Group A

• Cecil John Rhodes School
• Stanley School
• Riverside School
• Lundi Park School
• Midlands Christian School (Private)
• Anderson Adventist (Private)

Group B

• Bata School (Financed and Maintained by the Bata Shoe Company)
• Sandara School
• St Paul's School (Catholic)
• Chikumbiro School
• Bumburwi School
• Muwunga School
• St. Micheals Primary School (Catholic)
• Senga Primary School
• Matongo Primary School
• Mpumelelo Primary School
• Takunda Primary School
• Mkoba 4 Primary School
• Takwirira Primary school
• Thornhill Airforce

Secondary schools

Group A

• Chaplin High School (former school of Rhodesian Prime Minister - Ian Smith|Ian Douglas Smith and Springbok cricketer - Chris Duckworth.)
• Thornhill High School
• Midlands Christian College (private)
• Anderson Adventist High School (private)
• Nashville Secondary School
• Guinea Fowl High School

Group B

• Mkoba 3 High School
• Ascot Secondary School
• Matinunura Secondary school
• Senka Secondary School
• Mkoba 1 Secondary School
• Mambo Secondary School
• Fletcher High School (this school produced some of the country's top professionals)

*Tertiary Schools

• Gweru Polytechnic College
• Mkoba Teachers College
• Midlands State University

Church/Mission schools

• Loreto Secondary School (Catholic)
• Lower Gweru Mission (Seventh Day Adventist)
• St Patricks High School (Anglican)
• Regina Mundi High School (Catholic)

Commercial colleges

Commercial education was not easily available to the majority of Gweru residents especially before independence. There was a surge of new colleges after 1980 when Zimbabwe gained independence and also when commercial courses became a popular requirement in industry.

Midlands College of Commerce - The first black commercial college was founded in the early 1970s by Wilbert H. Shumba. It provided courses in most commercial and practical subjects popular during that era for example: typing, bookkeeping, dress-making and shorthand. These were examined by the UK-based Pitman Examinations Institute. This college stopped operating in the mid-1990s following the death of W.H Shumba in 1994.

After 1980 other colleges were soon established:

• Educare College
• Ambassador College
• Commercial Studies Centre
• Solars College
• TopFlight Secretarial College
• Herentals College

Correspondence / Distance Education Colleges

• Zimbabwe Distance Education College (Zdeco). Founded by Dr Skhanyiso Ndlovu who is now the Minister of Information for Zimbabwe. ZDECO was formed soon after independence and is now one of the country's largest adult education colleges. This college runs commercial and academic programmes including ZJC (Zimbabwe Junior Certificate), 'O' and 'A' levels and degree programmes
• Central Africa Correspondence College established in 1954
• Rapid Results College established in 1962
• International Correspondence Schools
• Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU)

Tertiary education

• Midlands Christian Training Centre - provided teacher training, and is also an examination centre for UNISA exams. This training centre is closely linked to the Midlands Christian School and College.
• Midlands State University - formerly Gweru Teacher's College www.msu.ac.zw
• Mkoba Teacher's College
• Senka Technical Training Centre
• Kaguvi National Technical College - formerly established to cater for freedom fighters who had gone to war against British colonial powers to reintegrate them into the community.