Suikerland matric is in province’s top 10

KAMHLUSHWA – Making the province’s top ten achievers is a great honour, considering 44 612 learners in Mpumalanga wrote the exams last year and 79 per cent passed. This is just slightly higher than the national pass rate of 78,2 per cent.

Bandisa Masilela of Suikerland Secondary School in Malalane was not only among the top ten but also received the award for best performer in physical science during MEC Sibusiso Malaza’s announcement of the provincial matric results at KaMhlushwa Primary on Friday.

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Masilela was one of four pupils who received 300/300 for their final marks for physical science. Besides the aforementioned, he received distinctions in English first additional language, maths, life sciences, geography and life orientation.

Other local top achievers were Samkelo Mavimbela from Inkomazi Secondary School, who was the best learner in agricultural sciences (272), Khumbulani Mhlongo of Khula Secondary School in business studies (291) and Sipho Themba from Gebhuza Secondary was tops in maths literacy (283).

The top learners in each subject, and the overall top 10 from across the province, were recognised and received cash and other prizes. The top 10 were awarded full bursaries and several other prizes, including a car for the province’s best learner.

Natasha Agostinho, from Hoërskool Bergvlam in Mbombela, was named the top learner in the province. Her classmates, Johann Naduvileparambil (best in life science) and Neo Mkhabela, were also in the top 10, along with Hoërskool Nelspruit’s Wehan Viljoen and Miga van der Nest. Viljoen was the top performer in geography and Van der Nest in English first additional language.

Hoërskool Nelspruit received the award for the best school in the province and had a 100 per cent pass rate. They also obtained the most bachelor’s passes – 226 out of 267.

The Ehlanzeni district achieved a pass rate of 82,3 per cent, making it the best in the province and sixth in the country.

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Other local schools also achieved excellent results. Mgubho Combined School in Tonga had a 100 per cent pass rate, Lambalati Secondary School in Tonga had 97,8 per cent, Beacon College in Malalane achieved 97,5 per cent, Driekoppies Combined School 97,3 and Komatipoort Akademie had 91,9.

The top three learners in Shongwe Boarding School will also be awarded full bursaries to further their studies. The school obtained a 95,5 per cent pass rate.

It is one of five boarding schools that the provincial Department of Education established after closing down smaller schools in farm areas, and has proved quite successful.

Like their peers around the country, Nkomazi’s learners camped out at school during holidays and before exams and took extra classes on Saturdays to prepare. The MEC thanked teachers, learners and communities for their dedication and effort to ensure excellence despite difficult circumstances.

Malaza mentioned that 54,9 per cent of pupils passing matric are girls and said that this increase is encouraging. The department and other institutions have been conducting programmes for years to keep girls in school and discourage teenage pregnancies.

According to Malaza, 139 schools in the province have pass rates under 70 per cent. The department is planning to interact with the schools to see how they can assist them and garner more support from the communities.

He also stated that they are planning to reward top-performing schools to encourage others to reach their targets.

The MEC asked headmasters to give learners who failed the exams a chance to redo the year and teachers and communities to support them.

Learners who want to only retake exams for subjects they have failed can do so in May and June, by registering for this opportunity by the end of the month.