Saint Alberts High School
Encyclopedia
Saint Alberts High School is a coeducational Roman Catholic Church
mission high school that also provides boarding for students. It is situated in the Mashonaland Central
province of Zimbabwe
, on the escarpment
overlooking the Zambezi Valley in northern Zimbabwe near the Mozambique
border. St. Alberts is located in a pristine area between Mt Darwin and Centenary, in a region of temperate weather.
(ZANLA) cadres captured 292 pupils and staff from the school and force-marched
them north towards Mozambique, where the ZANLA bases were. The march was intercepted by the Rhodesian Security Forces before it crossed the border and all but eight of the children and staff were recovered. The school is presently managed by Father Superior Vitalis Murombedzi, under the Diocese of Chinhoyi.
The school was closed in the late 1970s at the height of the liberation struggle. It had become a haven for the recruitment of freedom fighters.
One. The first head-boy in this group was Simplicio Chizunza. Its first headmaster after the war was Celestine Mtandadzi (died 28 July 2007). His deputy was Cannan Chabayanzara (died 2003). Initially, the school had a total of four teachers. The school grew with each passing year; by 1984, it had forms one to four. The school added buildings to accommodate the increased class size.
St Alberts had teachers whose appreciation of drama and theatre lead the school to build theatres not only for the students, but for the surrounding communities. Among these teachers was George Mujajati, who went on to write novels and plays like "Victory" and "The Wretched One." St Alberts won several drama trophies under chief drama master Gonzo Habbakuk Msengezi. He became the first writer in Zimbabwe to be chased by the government Secret Police after writing books like "Zvairwadza Vasara" and "The Honourable MP."
St Alberts opened its doors to A-level students in 1987. It started with only arts students, as the school was still in the process of building science laboratories.
The school was involved in agriculture projects, as it had a large student garden. It also kept cattle, pigs, and goats. However, a new Roman Catholic Father Superior who hated the agriculture projects caused the closure of the gardens as a result of conflicts with headmaster Mtandadzi. Mtandadzi had to leave the school in 1990, becoming an Education Officer.
Notable soccer players include Gerald "Madhobha" Mutyambizi, Roy Bonga, Kudakwashe Masasi, Kudzai Samkange, and Ashford Jaison.
St Alberts boasts former National team volleyball players including Ladislous Madziva, Wellington Hwata, Tanya Mawele, the Chinyani twins, and Tinashe Mashayamombe and others.
The school has many recreational facilities, including a swimming pool, a football field, and volleyball and netball grounds.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
mission high school that also provides boarding for students. It is situated in the Mashonaland Central
Mashonaland Central
Mashonaland Central is a province of Zimbabwe. It has an area of 28,347 km² and a population of approximately 998,265 , representing about 8.5% of the total Zimbabwe population.- Background :Bindura is the capital of the province...
province of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, on the escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
overlooking the Zambezi Valley in northern Zimbabwe near the Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
border. St. Alberts is located in a pristine area between Mt Darwin and Centenary, in a region of temperate weather.
1970s
The school was founded in the 1970s by the Jesuit society of the Roman Catholic Church. In July 1973, Zimbabwe African National Liberation ArmyZimbabwe African National Liberation Army
Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army was the military wing of the Zimbabwe African National Union, a militant African nationalist organization, and participated in the Rhodesian Bush War against Republican Rule in Rhodesia....
(ZANLA) cadres captured 292 pupils and staff from the school and force-marched
Death march
A death march is a forced march of prisoners of war or other captives or deportees. Those marching must walk over long distances for an extremely long period of time and are not supplied with food or water...
them north towards Mozambique, where the ZANLA bases were. The march was intercepted by the Rhodesian Security Forces before it crossed the border and all but eight of the children and staff were recovered. The school is presently managed by Father Superior Vitalis Murombedzi, under the Diocese of Chinhoyi.
The school was closed in the late 1970s at the height of the liberation struggle. It had become a haven for the recruitment of freedom fighters.
1980s
In 1981, the school was reopened with around 90 students in FormForm (education)
A form is a class or grouping of students in a school. The term is used predominantly in the United Kingdom, although some schools, mostly private, in other countries also use the title...
One. The first head-boy in this group was Simplicio Chizunza. Its first headmaster after the war was Celestine Mtandadzi (died 28 July 2007). His deputy was Cannan Chabayanzara (died 2003). Initially, the school had a total of four teachers. The school grew with each passing year; by 1984, it had forms one to four. The school added buildings to accommodate the increased class size.
St Alberts had teachers whose appreciation of drama and theatre lead the school to build theatres not only for the students, but for the surrounding communities. Among these teachers was George Mujajati, who went on to write novels and plays like "Victory" and "The Wretched One." St Alberts won several drama trophies under chief drama master Gonzo Habbakuk Msengezi. He became the first writer in Zimbabwe to be chased by the government Secret Police after writing books like "Zvairwadza Vasara" and "The Honourable MP."
St Alberts opened its doors to A-level students in 1987. It started with only arts students, as the school was still in the process of building science laboratories.
The school was involved in agriculture projects, as it had a large student garden. It also kept cattle, pigs, and goats. However, a new Roman Catholic Father Superior who hated the agriculture projects caused the closure of the gardens as a result of conflicts with headmaster Mtandadzi. Mtandadzi had to leave the school in 1990, becoming an Education Officer.
Houses
St Alberts has four competing students' houses:- Silveira, which wore yellow;
- Miguel, which wore red;
- St Augustine, which wore green; and
- St Martins, which wore white.
Athletic achievements
The school produced notable basketball players like the tall and gangly Mickey "CIO" Samakomva and Tosiyana "Tosy" Nyika, among others.Notable soccer players include Gerald "Madhobha" Mutyambizi, Roy Bonga, Kudakwashe Masasi, Kudzai Samkange, and Ashford Jaison.
St Alberts boasts former National team volleyball players including Ladislous Madziva, Wellington Hwata, Tanya Mawele, the Chinyani twins, and Tinashe Mashayamombe and others.
The school has many recreational facilities, including a swimming pool, a football field, and volleyball and netball grounds.
Notable alumni
- Phillip Chidavaenzi, writer
- David Mashonga, sculptor
- Brighton Kukasira, eveai co-founder and engineer
- Julius Chirume , ZBC Sportnet Producer
Notable faculty
- Father Gregory Xavier Croft S.J., co-author of Science for Zimbabwe
External links
- Saint Alberts High School on Facebook