Friday, 6 November 2009

Short History of St.John's High School of Marrere

The St.John’s High School of Marrere, EPJM, is an institution belonging to the Roman Catholic Church of Mozambique. It is located in the rural zone next to the city of Nampula. The idea of creating this high school started in 1990 with half a dozen of students which, having finished their primary school studies, didn’t have the chance of continuing an academic path. As witnessed one of the first Ethics teacher, Mr.Afonso M’Puta, the distance between households and the school as the fees to pay made it very difficult for students to endorse secondary studies.The EPJM finally started working in 1995, with the introduction of the first two years of secondary studies.

At that time, students still had to work in their families’ lands (the ‘’machambas’’) and paid part of the monthly fees with the money they gained by selling part of the crops. For those who came from long distances the high school decided to create an internship system. Many students then came from neighboring districts and in some cases from places even farther as, for example, Niassa.

At the beginning of 1995, the school had two classes, one per level (6th and 7th). Before the end of the same year the next two levels were already available. There were 51 students in the 7th level, 109 in the 8th and 17 in the 9th.
With time the classes increased in numbers. Until the school decided only to vow itself to high levels. The 6th and 7th levels were passed on neighboring public schools and by doing so the EPJM managed to implement the last three levels and have the complete cycle of high school levels. Since 2002 the school added practical courses such as Informatics, Carpentry, Looming, Mechanics and Metal Handling classes.

Today the EPJM continues its effort to make a maximum of incentives available to its students, in order for them to better develop their qualities. Always looking into making the most of each individual potential. The path behind motivates the walker. More than 300 students, in which 92 of the girl’s internship and 93 of the boy’s internship, are fighting for their self growth, for their learning, for the building of their future.

A better future.