Premier salutes feisty matriculants
Dream of a better life inspired impoverished pupil to excel
WESTERN Cape matriculants who achieved excellence in the exams and who did it against all odds were honoured by Premier Helen Zille at Leeuwenhof, her official residence.
Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said a school like Lavender Hill High, where the pass rate increased from 68.8% to 88.6%, had shown an exceptional improvement. Aloe High in Mitchells Plain also increased its pass rate from 51.4% in 2015 to 87.2% last year.
“This is an outstanding achievement. Fisantekraal High School has gone from 64.4% in 2016 to 79.5% in 2017. I would like to specially mention schools that are plagued by gangsterism, violence and poor socio-economic circumstances and yet have improved their results significantly. And learners from these schools have to learn under the most difficult circumstances,” she said.
Schäfer said she was not happy the province’s pass rate dropped. The Western Cape is third in the country with 84.4%. Its pass rate dropped 3.3%. “In maths, the Western Cape achieved the highest pass rate of 73.9%. More pupils in the Western Cape are taking maths and science as a percentage of the cohort, something that we have been encouraging over a number of years.
“The province retained 64.3% of learners in the system from Grade 10 to matric. In the Western Cape, our focus will remain on whether we have increased the numbers and percentages of candidates passing and the quality of those passes.
“I am proud of our schools that worked hard. It is important to note that 16.8% of schools achieved a 100% pass rate, while more than 40% of schools achieved a pass rate of 90% or above and 18 schools in the province achieved a 95% bachelor’s pass.”
Zille said she had noticed that the raw scores in maths had increased.
“The retention rates in schools are critical. I am quite happy that we are improving and keeping learners in schools. One matriculant who lost her mother in Grade 11, and had to move to study, still passed matric and received distinctions.”
Western Cape education head Brian Schreuder said they were determined to bring quality education to every learner.
The top pupil in the province and the country is Janke van Dyk from Bellville High. Second, in the Western Cape, is Matthys Louis Carstens from Durbanville High, and third is Erin Michael Solomon from Rondebosch Boys’ High School.
STAYING next door to a shebeen in an area plagued by gangsterism and drugs didn’t keep an 18-yearold matric boy from an informal settlement in Kraaifontein from achieving two distinctions, and a bachelor’s pass with a 72% aggregate.
Benedict Nafooh Khobotle from Wallacedene received the Ministerial Award at the National Senior Certificate Awards at Premier Helen Zille’s official residence, Leeuwenhof, yesterday. It is his dream to become an inventor. His circumstances at home were so bad that the only meal he had each day was the one he received at school. Impoverished learners receive meals at schools as part the schools feeding programme. But he attended school every day despite being tired and hungry.
He was also the top learner at Scottsdene High School.
Benedict also looked after his younger brother during the day, while his single mother looked for work.
“Because of the noise of the shebeen next to our shack, I had to study very late at night when there was no loud music. I was usually very tired at school the next day because I had to stay up late to study. It was very tough, but I believe education is the key to get you out of poverty,” he said.
Benedict added he wanted to do bridging subjects at a college this year in order to do his desired degree at university.
“It has always been my dream to invent something one day,” he said.
Education MEC Debbie Schäfer noted that Benedict was the top learner in Grade 12 at his school in the June and September exams last year.
“Despite these circumstances, he worked hard and passed with two distinctions, an aggregate of 72%, and obtained access to a bachelor’s degree study opportunity. He is a fine example for others. These marks, under these circumstances, make him a top student in my eyes,” she said.
‘IT WAS VERY TOUGH, BUT I BELIEVE EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO GET YOU OUT OF POVERTY’