‘Tremendous’ support sees Ukhanyo matrics rise above

Ikhamva attributes better results to new ‘style’

Ukhanyo Secondary School in Alexandria achieved its best results ever since its founding in 1986.

“We have tasted what it is like to be an underperforming school. We’ve been in that category for a number of years,” said principal Mthuthuzeli Jonas.

“But with the dedication of the educators and the tremendous support we are receiving from various quarters, I think we have shaken that off.”

Jonas had high praise for Ndlambe Municipality whose financial support helped the school sustain its matric camps and intervention programmes.

“They have also supplied us with resources including textbooks and other teaching materials,” Jonas said.

Other assistance came from the Life Christian Centre, which provided spiritual support and leadership training for the school’s prefects.

“We also get meaningful support from our sister departments. There is a policewoman from SAPS who works closely with us, advising our learners on safety issues.

“The Department of Health plays an important role during exams, and when our learners are on camp, sometimes they get sick with minor illnesses. They don’t queue but get assisted straight away. That is the understanding we have with the sister in charge.”

Social development supported children from vulnerable homes with grocery packs, he said.

Home affairs had assisted pupils to obtain identity documents.

Jonas also had strong praise for the local branch of the ANC, whose members, he said, visited the school from time to time to check how they could assist.

“This year, they came before school opened to ask if we needed assistance. We said we needed help cleaning the grounds and classrooms and they sent EPWP employees who cleaned the school in no time,” Jonas said.

Local councillor Randy Nyumka was handson, together with Andisa Andries, tutoring pupils in life sciences.

The education department’s Ntomboxolo Ntanga was extremely supportive of the school.

“The department supported intervention programmes like top-up classes, winter classes and spring classes,” Jonas said.

“They also supply necessary study material such as Mind the Gap.”

Parents also played a meaningful role, attending meetings and actively helping to care for the children at the Grade 12 camps.

The four pupils who had not managed to pass would write supplementary exams, Jonas said.

Enrolment at the school in 2023 was 691. Numbers for 2024 had yet to be confirmed, but Jonas estimated they would be about 750.

At Nompucuko Combined School, in Marselle, teachers were in a celebratory mood, while a group of 2023 Grade 12s waited nervously throughout a special assembly ahead of the handing out of their results.

Ikhamva Lesizwe Secondary School principal Gilbert Gqamane attributed the school’s improved results to changing their style of doing things, “especially at a management level”.

“It has been very important for us to deploy teachers who are properly qualified to teach their subjects,” he said.

Extra classes, night classes and holiday camps had also been part of the 87% pass mix.

His advice for pupils was: “Work hard, and call a spade a spade. If a teacher is not able to teach a subject properly, they must be redeployed to an area where they are more capable.”