By Flata Kavinga
Noah’s Ark Academy has promoted a pupil, Kunashe Mapunzuri, from Grade 3 to Grade 5 after she demonstrated exceptional academic performance, the school’s director Witness Chaunoita has said.
In an interview this week, Chaunoita described Mapunzuri as an outstanding learner whose 2024 results showed she was performing above her grade level. The decision to allow her to skip Grade 4 was made at the beginning of 2025.
“Based on her 2024 performance, we saw it fit for her to skip a grade,” Chaunoita said. “Instead of doing Grade 4 in 2025, we moved her to Grade 5.”
He said Mapunzuri had continued to excel even after the transition, performing strongly across subjects.
“To our surprise, she has done well. She has almost scooped all the prizes in Grade 5,” he said. “We are now realizing that we have a very bright, brilliant child at our school.”
Chaunoita said the school would continue monitoring her progress to ensure she receives appropriate academic support.
Meanwhile, Kunashe’s mother, Susan Melissa Mamhosva, said she was proud of her daughter’s achievements.
“As a mom, I’m happy for her. I’m happy to see her achieve this even though she skipped the grade she was supposed to be in this year,” she said. “I monitor her homework, but sometimes she is far ahead of me. She’ll say, ‘Mommy, you’re getting it wrong.’ I think it’s in her, and we’re praying she continues achieving this.”
Mamhosva said her daughter’s career interests often shift, but noted that she has recently shown interest in science and innovation.
“One minute she wants to be a doctor, and another minute she wants to be more than that,” she said. “After watching Elon Musk movies, she said she wanted to change the world like him.”
School officials are expected to meet with her parents to plan how best to sustain her development as she advances through the education system.
