MIRROR REPORTER

MASVINGO – Victoria Junior Primary is now undoubtedly the most sought after primary school in Masvingo.

The Mirror attended its opening day for 2023 on Monday and the place was a hive of activity teeming with human life. Grade ones were starting formal school for the first time; ECD A pupils were starting school life and grades five and threes were being reallocated classes and subjects according to their performance.

“It is a hectic day,” said the head Rameck Mashuro in a terse interview with The Mirror.

Hundreds of parents were at the school just to see their children settle down for a year-long studies, some were paying fees while others were looking for places.

Vic Junior has always been among the top five schools in the province in terms of Grade 7 results and therefore places for school have always been in high demand. For a long time during the time of Horuno Zengeya, Vic junior played second fiddle to Hellen McGhie Primary and Gokomere primary schools.

Not anymore, according to a survey by The Mirror.

Every parent in Masvingo wants his or her child to go to Victoria Junior. As a former Group A institution, its culture is modern, facilities including sports are good and the academic results have always been outstanding. New classroom blocks are going up from time to time.

The school culture, proximity to most of Masvingo’s suburbs and the sports and classrooms facilities are some of the factors that have seen demand for places rising. 

The school head is also a reputable and a principled educationist who radiates immense confidence for the school. 

However, the demand has overwhelmed facilities and different classes now share classrooms while lessons run concurrently. Some hostels and other buildings have been turned into classrooms. 

Victoria Junior is among the top five schools in terms of enrolment in the Province. It has 2 600 pupils; 1 700 grades 1 to 7 and 900 ECD.

Experts who spoke to The Mirror said that when a parent looks for a good school for a child, it is not just about the academic results but an array of other factors. They insisted that the head and the board of the school are factors considered because they determine the school brand.

“Sometimes you look at well-built schools with expensive facilities but struggle with poor enrolment even when the fees structure is reasonable. This is because vigilant parents don’t just look at academic results but they look at a hosts of other things including the ownership of the school.

“The board or owners of the school determine the products and a child is an important product that cannot be left in any hands. A good parent particularly looks at the school board, the head and the staff. These determine a lot on what the child will become,” said an expert.

Addressing teachers and pupils at the first assembly for Grade 3s’ to 7, Mashuro spoke about discipline and emphasized the need to stop any form of bullying. He said pupils who have no discipline will be chucked out of school and so will those who bully others.

He emphasized the need to stop cyber, physical, emotional and social bullying which he said has forced many children to run away from school.