While one Grahamstown principal despairs over his school's disastrous matric results, another is all smiles as his 2009 matrics improved radically over the previous year's group.
While one Grahamstown principal despairs over his school's disastrous matric results, another is all smiles as his 2009 matrics improved radically over the previous year's group.
After achieving a 100% matric pass rate in 2009, Benjamin Mahlasela Secondary School in Joza has dropped to 28.6% in the latest matric results. Of seven matric candidates last year, only two have passed – both qualifying for a Higher Certificate, meaning they qualify for entry to a college.
Benjamin Mahlasela Secondary School principal Sandile Dude puts his pupils' plunge to the other end of the scale on poor attendance and low morale. “We had to go and fetch the pupils from their homes,” said Dude.
He said the pupils had not attended the winter and spring extra classes scheduled for them. In addition, this school had come under pressure from the Save Our Schools and Community (Sosac) organisation, which had suggested the school be closed as a high school and instead be upgraded to a special school of academic excellence and Further Education and Training.
“These rumours about the closing down of the school demoralised the staff and caused panic to our kids,” said Dude. It was a very different story for Khutliso Daniels Secondary School – one of the lowest achievers in the area last year, with only a 10.8% pass rate.
The pass rate for last year's matrics has soared to 56%. Principal Zonwabele Mcube said early last year that their target was between 60% and 70%. “We have fallen just a little bit below our target, but nevertheless we are happy with what we have achieved,” he said.
“We were lucky this year because we had a motivated group of pupils and they were different from previous groups”. Mcube said strong teamwork by the staff members, dedication from the pupils and the extra classes they had attended were the reasons for their success.
“We asked kids to select teachers as mentors during the year. That has worked very well. Our district office has also been very helpful,” said Mcube. Of their 21 matric students in 2010, 16 finished their exams and nine passed. Nompumelelo Mancam, 18, was the only matric who qualified for university entry.
Nompumelelo got 60% in Economics, 54% in Business Studies, 73% in Life Orientation and 50% in Accounting. “I feel very happy about my achievement, though I was scared at the beginning of the year because matric is such a big thing and there is a lot of pressure involved,” said Mancam.
Mancam has her heart set on university and a B.Com degree, but money may prove a stumbling block. “My parents are still working on it, because money is a problem,” said Mancam.
