On 28 February WLZ's THRASS team were invited to Eaglesvale primary school for a showcase the school was having. Several headmasters from the Masvingo province were present. The reason for the event was for the Eaglesvale headmaster, Mr. Bvumbe, to share with the other headmasters the reason for the success of the students at his school.
Among the activities showcased was a THRASS lesson. Mr. Bvumbe is a THRASS enthusiast and was rather keen to share the program with his fellow headmasters. According to him the program had impacted the manner in which English is taught at his school and has thus helped his students in articulation, proper pronunciation and proper spelling. His argument was based on how widely English is spoken in the world, and how being able to speak it can give, especially third world, students an advantage when competing for higher education places and even jobs on the global market.
The THRASS lesson was fun and engaging but what struck most people, including me, was how well the children spoke the language. Since the lessons were for show, we did not tour the entire school, just one grade six and seven class. The children in these classes spoke English so well and with so much confidence, it was encouraging.
THRASS is a newly introduced program in Zimbabwe and thus might bring doubt to many. But those bold enough, like Eaglesvale primary school, have begun reaping the rewards of the program.
