Whiz-kid (5) skips grades
By Rejoice Makurira
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education has allowed a five-year-old Epworth Grade One pupil to skip to Grade Three after noting that he is exceptionally intelligent.
Ordinarily, a five-year-old should be doing Early Childhood Development until he reaches the age of seven to start Grade One.
The Epworth whiz-kid Tinotenda Manyemba was born on February 14, 2012 and is attending Widdecombe Primary School in Hatfield.
Provincial education director for Harare Metropolitan Province Mr Christopher Kateera confirmed that Tinotenda was cleared by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education after conducting some tests that showed that his intelligence quotient was unique.
“The above mentioned child (Tinotenda) was assessed at this provincial office and it was established that his intelligence quotient is superior, and his performance based on the tests, graded word reading list and spelling proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is a candidate for Grade Three level,” said Mr Kateera.
“Based on assessment report and placement letter from the PED Harare, Tinotenda is operating on mathematical age of 7,7 years which is approximately two years above his level. His reading and spellings skills are also two years above his level.”
Tinotenda’s father, Mr Moses Manyemba, said that he was elated by the performance of his child and pledged to stand by his side on his academic journey.
“My son was assessed by the Schools Psychological Services and Special Needs Education Department and he has an IQ of 123 which is superior intelligence based on the Wechsler Pre-School and Primary Scale of intelligence (WIPPSI),” he said.
The ministry, however, recommended that Tinotenda was too young and should be placed in Grade Two and the schools’ psychological personnel would make follow ups on him to render support in the nurturing of his talent.
Tinotenda was four years 11 months when the assessment was conducted on the 16th of this month.
He received his Early Childhood Development (ECD) in Mudzi where his father was working and came to Harare in 2015.
His parents sought psychological assessment after they observed his extraordinary performance at school.
Tinotenda is following in the footsteps of the record breaker Maud Chifamba who became the first student to graduate at the University of Zimbabwe at the age of 18 last year. The Herald
