Province hails ‘excellent’ Class of 2012

THE best and brightest of the class of 2012 gathered on the lawns of the premier’s Leeuwenhof estate to be applauded for their achievements and improvements in last year’s final matric exams.

Addressing the crowd gathered at the award ceremony, Education MEC Donald Grant said the class of 2012 had “excelled beyond expectations, putting on a quality performance that I will certainly remember for years to come”.

The matric class, which had achieved a pass rate of 82.8 percent, had succeeded in beating the records for all the key indicators of success, Grant said. These included:

The highest number of passes in this province.

Breaking the record in the number of learners qualifying for Bachelor degree study.

Achieving the highest percentage pass rates in both mathematics and science.

“Results such as this show that the system is qualitatively getting better and that our strategic interventions are proving, time and time again, to be successful in increasing the performance levels of our underperforming schools.”

Premier Helen Zille said although there was no quick fix for the crisis in SA education it was clear that the system was moving in the right direction.

The Western Cape was serious about systemic improvements, especially for the province’s poorest pupils.

“We need to celebrate that we are giving more and more young people freedom.”

Matrics who were honoured included Songezo Ceki, who achieved 85 percent in isiXhosa home language, Miranda Kantor, who achieved 95 percent for English home language, Melissa Meyer, who achieved 95 percent in Afrikaans home language, and Hendrik Breytenbach, who achieved 98 percent in physical science.

A special ministerial award was given to Anita Engelbrecht, of Hoërskool Bellville, who was wheelchair-bound and had achieved five distinctions.

Schools were recognised for their improvements in certain subjects.

These included Hoërskool De Kuilen for maths, Spine Road Secondary for physical science, Hoërskool De Kuilen for accounting, Rocklands Secondary for English home language, George High for Afrikaans home language, and Simanyene for isiXhosa home language.

George High principal Lawrence Lottering attributed the school’s achievements to the efforts of dedicated, hardworking teachers.

He has been principal of the school for 22 years.

The school was

also recognised for the most increases in Bachelors degree study, having achieved 88 of these passes.

Lottering said the majority of the pupils at the school came from disadvantaged backgrounds. He said although the majority of pupils were able to study at university, most of them would not be able to afford the fees.

“Most of them will look for jobs but I don’t think many will find them.”

The top three matriculants this year were all girls – Nita Wiegman of Hermanus High, Emma Whitelaw of Springfield Convent of the Holy Rosary, and Leandri Scholtz of Hoërskool Tygerberg.

Scholtz said she was pleased to have been included in the top 20, so being third in the province was “the cherry on top”.

“It’s like a dream,” Scholtz said.

She would soon be setting off for the University of Stellenbosch to study accounting.

Wiegman, the province’s top matriculant, said: “I am ecstatic, I am very happy, I am very proud.”

She attributed her success to God, the good school she had attended with excellent teachers, and her own abilities and hard work.

Wiegman would be studying medicine at the University of Stellenbosch this year.