Ntombovuyo Makalo, of Mary Waters High, has good reason to smile. She not only passed her matric, but got an admirable B-aggregate. That's a result good enough to get her accepted at a university – something she has long dreamed of.
Ntombovuyo Makalo, of Mary Waters High, has good reason to smile. She not only passed her matric, but got an admirable B-aggregate. That's a result good enough to get her accepted at a university – something she has long dreamed of.
But, like many other successful matriculants, she won't be going this year. Financial constraints? No, says Errol Goliath, Chairperson of the Governing Council at the school. That's not the reason Ntombovuyo and many other bright matrics won't be pursuing further studies.
The real problem for many talented and capable young people, Goliath says, is hope – or, rather, the lack of it. "The problem with our students is that they look at the family condition and because most come from really poor families they lose hope," Goliath said. "I have personally sat students down and told them to forget their conditions and just work hard if they have any hopes of changing it."
Goliath said Rhodes University and other institutions had come to the school and advised the students on the importance of applying in time for courses and bursaries. Indeed, Ntombovuyo simply didn't apply, because she didn't believe her matric marks would be good enough. Unfortunately it's too late to apply to any university now, so her dream is on hold. But all is by no means lost for Ntombovuyo.
The fact that she achieved her good result in a year disrupted by the World Cup and a teachers' strike shows she has the determination it takes to tackle a university degree. She also showed initiative – she and fellow pupils formed study groups to tackle the difficult Physical Science curriculum while some of her teachers were striking.
And that's a quality that will stand her in good stead when she finally does get to university, as well as later, in a career.
