“In 2009, I could not switch on a computer. Now I teach IT at my school, which was recently voted the best ICT school in the district.”
These words came from Charles Mubwandarikwa, an IT teacher at Mutasa Primary School in Highfield, where 34 of the school’s teachers are trained and certified on how to use technology in the classroom to enhance their teaching.
“Our learners want to learn about using gadgets. They are enthusiastic about learning with computers, so we take advantage of their excitement to promote technology in the classroom.”
One tool that is helping these teachers deliver their lessons every day is the Ruzivo Digital Learning platform, introduced to the school by Higherlife Foundation.
“I fell in love with Ruzivo”, remarked Gertrude Guzha, a grade 7 maths teacher at Mutasa whose students have achieved a 100% pass rate for the past six years in a row. “No textbook can match the content that Ruzivo provides.”
Endorsed by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE), Ruzivo offers content for 20 learning areas covering Grade 1-4 and Form 1 to 4, with all content approved by the MoPSE’s Curriculum Development and Technical Services (CDTS) department.
“Ruzivo has saved us a lot of work. The content is relevant and syllabus-based, and students get instant feedback on their quizzes, making revising much more effective”.
These teachers’ enthusiasm for Ruzivo is infectious and extends beyond the platform itself; indeed, they firmly believe in the power of technology to strengthen learning outcomes for their students. Their commitment has resulted in the school winning numerous ICT awards and getting voted the best ICT school in the district.
When asked how they were able to achieve such stellar results, they all shared the same response: “Our success is due to leadership. We are fortunate to have a fantastic School Head who set an ambitious vision, provided us with support, and created an “open door” policy where we could freely come to her with our questions and concerns”.
These ingredients – a shared vision, strong leadership, and open communication – have allowed a high-performance culture to take root at Mutasa Primary School, enabling a tool such as Ruzivo to have meaningful impact on students’ learning outcomes.
