They would expect a decent provision of services to their loved children cum pupils. But this is not the case at St Luke Jemedza. Of the valuable money parents pay, the pupils are only served with little of what they expect of a private school.
Although boasting of a variety of new blocks, the tale will not sound well when you consider the quality of the infrastructure they have managed to construct. Only a few years after construction, the sins of using inferior inputs for a rushed job are now catching up with owners. The plastered walls seem not to resist the tempting destructive power of the rainy season. Floors are evidently full of cracks, cuts and the worst being craters. Some of the blocks were built using farm brick, produced at a low cost at the campus and some with durawall material and variations of cheap sheets for roofing and some asbestos material for other rooftops. I can not compare their structures with even the communal farmer tobacco barns which I saw along my way.
Pupils are also served with some not so good meals in a dining room which is so filthy that you can not differentiate it with the aesthetics of the bare ground outside. I don’t know what happens when the outside gets so wet. As if that is not enough, pupils are also made to sit on very rough metal only chairs. The chairs alone can extinguish one’s appetite and hunger. The dining hall also stands nearly just 100 metres only away from a stinking Boys’ Hostel septic tank which is evidently not well constructed. Even some of the girls toilets are still yet to get some roofing and some proper drainage. The beam filling of one of the female hostels that house hundreds of pupils, I did notice that they used some corrugated iron sheets instead. I did not see any dwelling that had a ceiling, maybe it’s a luxury that a private school can not afford. But I doubt if the structures were ever properly inspected by the authorities. This is also applicable to the outlook of The School Hall.
However, I give credit to the school owners for their applaudable creation of school set-up that makes sure that the pupils are always physically fit. Having to climb up and down the Mountain for any activity, pupils maintain a healthy physical body. As that is not enough, during sports time, they are exposed to a lawnless field, ensuring that every fall will guarantee two or more bruises. The school is also surrounded by wild fruits, especially (mazhanje) and some various indigenous trees. This ensures that the pupils stay healthy all the time.So, for all that, I give them credit. However, because the school cooks and boils water using firewood, they have been aiding deforestation without necessarily doing some reforestation elsewhere.
In a nutshell, I can just say, it was the ordinary case of promises that turn up to be fallacies, to most parents who had found out about the school through its marketing team in Harare in a way I can liken to that of a blind date. They actually thought that maybe their loved children would find a swimming pool equipped institution somewhere beyond Save River. But what can the parents do, when the process of finding places for Form One is now as hard as securing a job in Zimbabwe. Somewhere Somehow, Someone is going to be duped especially when the books of accounts are never published.
Post published in: Opinions
firstly this is just delusional journalism it may seem it is well researched but clearly the journalist is somehow biased or someone with a personal agenda against this school the most important thing you failed to mention is the school is still new and in terms of development its progressing at an higher pace. if you had done your research you would have noticed that compared to well established school surrounding jemedza we are one of the best schools. also research the amount of money charged by other private boarding schools in zimbabwe its $1500 excluding laundry services and above u welcome to search any private boarding school below the price i stated. Mr journalist I kindly ask you to go to any private school you know and ask for their books of accounts according to which education act is the school obliged to publish them so what i would suggest is to go back and research and come up with solutions to the so called problems you just stated in closing the reason why most businesses and organisations are not succeeding in zimbabwe is because at every turn the media outlets are quick to criticize in the future do your research before dishing out potentially reputation damaging information
this school is just a big joke! every structure is built using stone age bulders who cannot even compete with form 1 building classes. the school is not properly planned for and i could not stomach the hideous and horrid building works at the school.