In February Harare News profiled the Prince Edward Head Boy. This time around, we introduce to you the head girl of Roosevelt Girls High School – one of the most sought after government schools in the capital. Being the only school to attain a 100% pass rate in the 2014 A-Level results, it’s not hard to guess why. On the back of this success, we caught up with the student head, Ruvimbo Mutyasira to see what makes her and her school tick.

Introduce yourself.

My name is Ruvimbo Rachel Mutyasira, I am in upper 6 and I was made Head girl on the 10th of October 2014.

As the student leader, are you happy with the current academic performance of your school?

I am very pleased. The school has registered excellent pass rates of late. This has also seen a great proportion – about 75% – of the current number of students coming from other schools in and around the city. This is a sign that more and more parents are gaining confidence in the school and its performance.

Bullying is an issue in many schools these days. What is the situation like at Roosevelt, and how do you deal with it if you encounter it?

I have been here since form one and I haven’t come across such issues either as an ordinary student, or as a leader. The school has a policy that is centred on the founding values of a family. We view each other as equal members of a large family.

How would you deal with girls who bunk out to mill around in public spaces? Has this ever happened?

Unfortunately yes – we had two such cases. The school head named and shamed them at the assembly and gave a strong emphasis to other students against it. My advice is that we should know that we are the ambassadors of the school, and whatever we do either in school uniform or not, can harm the reputation of the school.

How do you rate your performance academically?

I fight for a 99 or even 100% performance, as a student at one of the city’s best schools and a leader. I want to lead by example. I strive for excellence at all times.

What subjects are you taking? And what do you want to do after school?

I am doing Maths, Biology, and Chemistry. I want to be a medical doctor specialising in radiography.

What is your take on parents who overload the girl child with household chores in the morning before going to school?

It is bad. I know that it could be a form of training, but I would rather prefer that they do it in the evening before going to bed, because over-working the child in the morning will tire her and affect her performance in class.

How do you feel about the system of preferential treatment for female university applicants whereby a female needed 13 points and a male 15 to get accepted?

That was double-sided. It was good in the sense that girls used to be overworked with household chores, while boys were studying, which lowered the girls’ performances. On the other hand, it was unfair because we are created with equal capabilities and one should be admitted on merit.

What other activities do you do outside academics?

I used to play tennis, and now I do public speaking, debating, scripture union and I am a reporter for the school magazine.

How can students make Harare great?

Students can conduct clean ups, deliberate on issues about the dangers of pre-marital sex, as well as drug abuse. This will make us a healthy nation and responsible citizens.