Msunduzi under matric pressure to perform
ONLY weeks are left before the matric leaners sit for their national exams. It is a time for each to reap what they have been planting during the year. Last year, schools under Msunduzi Municipality excelled in the matric results and outshone their counterparts under uMgungundlovu Municipality. As the adage goes, “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”, Msunduzi schools now have an onerous task to defend their title.
Among those schools that did well is Maritzburg College which attained a 100% pass rate, meaning that all the 244 learners that sat for the final matric exams passed. Pietermaritzburg Girls could not be outdone with 222 matric learners all passing their exams. The Chistlehurst Arts School, Maritzburg Muslim School and Langsyde Combined School also hoisted the Msunduzi flag high.
That was not the first time Msunduzi topped in matric results. It is precisely the reason why there is determination to do even better this year from the current matric cohort. The learners have promised to defy the odds manifesting themselves through lack of basic infrastructure and resources in their schools and make sure they pass well.
Nqobile Nzimande from kwaDeda in Elandskop proved that this is possible when she became a top achiever from Langyside Combined by scoring seven distinctions in Mathematics (100%), Physical Science (94%), English (94%), isiZulu (85%) and Life Sciences (93%). As a result Nqobile was one of the few select learners to receive an invitation to a National Matric Results Awards ceremony hosted by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga.
Langyside scored 98.8% and came number five in the list of excelling schools in the townships under Umsunduzi.
Overall, Msunduzi Municipality was the best performing local municipality within the uMgungundlovu District and that was not the first time. Amongst the top performing students were Rachel Rose and Nqobile Nzimande. Rose came first in the quintile 5 category while Nzimande led the quintile 2 category. Others were: Dlamini Kwandile in Civil Technology from M.L Sultan PMB, Wood Brett in Accounting from Maritzburg College, Nzimande Nonduduzo in Agricultural Science from Amakholwa Secondary School, Khulasande in Business Studies from Haythorne Secondary, Govender Leveshan in Economics from Maritzburg College, Nzimande Nqobile in English FAL, Mathematics and Physical Sciences from Langsyde, Piek Jered in Life Sciences from Maritzburg College, Mazibuko Smanga in Mathematics Literacy from Silver Heights Secondary, Budhram Abhishek in Geography from Raisethorpe, Zuma Ayanda in History Langsyde, Dlamini Bonginkosi in History from Pietermaritzburg Girls High.
Schools that did well include Maritzburg College as it has come to be expected by achieving a 100% pass rate amongst its 244 learners that sat for the exams. They have maintained the 100% pass rate for three consecutive years.
Other schools that achieved a 100% pass rate included Pietermaritzburg Girls High, which had a total of 222 learners, unfortunately, they fell short by one learner in achieving the same rate the previous year.
The Chistlehurst Arts School also achieved a 100% pass rate with an enrolment of 8 learners while the Maritzburg Muslim School also achieved a spotless rate with an enrolment of 54 learners.