Additional sessions key to exam preparation

THE leadership of St Colmcille Senior Secondary has attributed their first 100% matric pass rate to dedicating additional time to pupils.

Principal Ian Balie and his deputy, Sedrick Gouza, said regular weekend camps were the major contributing factor to their success last year.

Gouza said once a month, the school’s 34 matric pupils would be housed in the school hostel from Friday to Sunday evening to allow for additional time to address pupils concerns arising from the work covered in the classes leading up to the weekend study camps.

Gouza also said the school, in conjunction with three other high schools, hosted an excellence camp.

The top 10 pupils from each school were taken on a seven-day camp with subject teachers from each school for intense exam preparation prior to the final exams.

Balie said time management and preplanning played a crucial role.

“Finishing the curriculum was of utmost importance,” he said.

“The syllabus is crammed with a lot of work which can be finished during school time, but preplanning lessons and schedules are essential.

“But for the pupils to actually understand what they are studying, additional time needs to be spent to ensure that they are able to apply what they are studying in exams.”