Township school rakes in honours

A KHAYELITSHA school, which was honoured for its excellent matric results in 2011, is continuing to rake in the academic accolades.

The Centre of Science Technology (Cosat) received a Special Ministerial Award during the 2012 National Senior Certificate Awards Ceremony, held at the Premier’s official residence, Leeuwenhof, yesterday.

All the school’s 2012 matric pupils enrolled for maths and they achieved a 100 percent pass rate in the subject.

They received R15 000 to buy teaching and learning material.

Principal Phadiela Cooper said the school’s motto was “No excuses, just success”.

Cosat also produced two pupils on the province’s merit list, Odwa Madikane, pictured, and Mandisi Ncapai.

The list includes pupils who achieved the top academic positions in the province, as well as pupils from previously disadvantaged backgrounds with “excellent meritorious achievement”.

Odwa, 17, said her only disappointment at yesterday’s award ceremony was not having her family there to celebrate with her.

She passed with five distinctions, including 94 percent for maths.

She said that she was estranged from her father and that her mother could not make it because she was ill with a knee problem.

“My mom is very proud of me. I wish she could have been here,” Odwa said.

She achieved distinctions for physical science, life sciences, life orientation, English and maths.

“It was a great achievement for me, especially maths because I got 94 percent. I do feel like I could have gotten distinctions for all my subjects but I did my best,” she said.

Odwa said she got through the matric exams by forming study groups with her friends.

“I don’t work well alone. So about four of us started a study group. We helped each other out and normally studied from 10am to 4pm but sometimes longer,” she said.

Odwa said she was excited to have been accepted at UCT to study chartered accountancy.