Schools run by the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland have once again proved to be a dominant force in Zimbabwe’s education sector, following outstanding performances in the November 2025 Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (Zimsec) Ordinary Level examinations.
Leading the pack was St David’s Bonda Girls’ High School, which emerged as the best-performing school in the province, with 104 candidates attaining five As and above.
Close behind was fellow Anglican institution St Faith’s High School, which secured second place after 93 candidates achieved five As and above. Notably, one St Faith’s learner recorded a remarkable 20 As, the only candidate in Manicaland province to achieve the feat.
Church-run schools continue to exert a growing influence in Manicaland province’s education landscape.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mutare institutions claimed third, fourth and fifth positions, with Kriste Mambo High School producing 88 candidates with five As and above. It was followed by St Dominic’s High School in Mutare, which recorded 79 candidates, while Nyanga High School had 66 candidates achieving the same benchmark.
Commenting on the results, Manicaland provincial education director (Services), Lucky Basopo, described the 2025 Ordinary Level results as highly encouraging.
“The 2025 results are very pleasing. We are excited as Manicaland. Credit goes to school heads, school leaders, staff members and, more importantly, the provincial directorate,” said Basopo.
“We also encourage schools that did not perform well to pull up their socks so that we move forward together as a team.”
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Basopo added that Primary and Secondary Education minister Torerai Moyo and chief director for provincial education Richard Gabaza had already engaged school heads in the province to sustain and improve academic standards.
“We are visibly impressed by church schools, led by Anglican institutions such as St David’s Bonda and St Faith’s, followed closely by Roman Catholic schools. We are very proud of this achievement,” he said.
He also noted that boarding schools continue to outperform day schools, attributing their success to extended learning time and better academic continuity.
“All candidates who achieved between 13 and 20 As are from boarding schools. They have an advantage in terms of learning time and consistency,” Basopo added.
The Anglican Diocese of Manicaland’s academic excellence also extended to the 2025 Advanced Level examinations, where diocesan schools again recorded strong performances.
In Manicaland, First Class College in Mutare topped the A-Level rankings, with 50 students scoring 15 points and above, followed closely by Anglican-run St Augustine’s High School, which produced 49 students in the same category. St David’s Bonda Girls’ High School came third, with 47 students attaining 15 points and above.
Basopo described the A-Level results as among the best since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980.
Meanwhile, Anglican Diocese of Manicaland Bishop Eric Ruwona expressed pride in the outstanding Ordinary Level results, applauding collaboration between the church, government and parents.
“We are indeed proud of the O-Level results from the Anglican Diocese of Manicaland-run schools. This demonstrates our commitment to human capital development,” said Bishop Ruwona.
“These results reflect strong partnerships with government, parents and other stakeholders. We also appreciate the dedication of our hardworking teachers.”
He emphasised the role of spirituality in academic success.
“Our aim is to produce not only academic excellence, but also spiritual and moral giants. Without God, these results would not be possible,” he said.
“We have invested in and deployed adequate clergy to address spiritual matters in our schools.”
