By Reagan Malumo
KATIMA MULILO – A school that is prone to annual devastating floods in eastern Caprivi surprised many after it performed better in last year’s Grade 10 examinations with a 100 percent pass rate.
The school scored a 100 percent pass rate in last year’s November examination and went away with a floating trophy at an award ceremony held at Katima Mulilo last weekend.
Schuckmansburg Combined School is located 100 kilometrs east of Katima Mulilo. Over the past years, Schuckmansburg and the surrounding areas have been subjected to massive floods that tend to displace many families and their children. This has made learning a difficult process, especially to the learners whose options have been to face the challenges of commuting to the nearby school under complicated conditions using dugout canoes.
In addition to this, New Era has learnt that when floods strike, teachers at this school are left with no option but to cross the border to a nearby settlement in Zambia where they are then transported by road to Katima Mulilo to draw their salaries and do their shopping.
Due to its secluded location, the school is cut off from the wide range of benefits of proper education materials which most schools – especially those located in town – enjoy.
Despite these conditions, teachers at this school have allowed themselves not to despair, and beat all the odds to excel.
The school has been performing better, landing the top spot in the region. Its former Grade 10 learner, Brondy Mubusisi, emerged the best student in the region during last November’s end-of-year school examinations.
Mafwila High School, located 68 kilometres south-east of Katima Mulilo, also performed better than other schools during the final examinations during last year’s Grade 12 final examinations.
This school has been trouncing other institutions when it came to results for Grade 12 since 2004. After students received their trophies they burst into song and dance.