Jan Ernst Pieterse of Hoërskool Nelspruit is the top learner in the Ehlanzeni District. This was announced during the recent 2021 Ehlanzeni Awards ceremony for the Class of 2020 at Lowveld High School.

This event was hosted by Ehlanzeni District’s Department of Education. This 18-year-old is currently studying for a bachelor’s in accounting and law (BAccLLB) at Stellenbosch University.

The categories of the awards include schools with 100 per cent pass rates, schools with the most bachelor’s passes, schools with improved performance, the top 10 schools, learners’ awards, teachers’ awards, subject advisers’ awards and circuit awards. Hoërskool Nelspruit is the school with the most university exemptions. There were 238 learners who wrote exams and 213 obtained bachelor’s passes.

Hazyview Private College took second place with 13 bachelor’s passes and 76 pupils wrote the exams. Mbombo Secondary is in the third place with three bachelor’s passes and 45 learners wrote the exams. Out of the 71 circuits within the province, Mbombela recorded the highest pass rate – 90,3 per cent compared to 89,2 in 2019.

This marks an improvement of 1,1 per cent. In second place was Insikazi with 81,9 per cent and White-Hazy 1 in third with 81,2. Hazel Brukwe, the district director of the provincial Department of Education, gave a keynote address.

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Brukwe said 2020 was a difficult year for pupils. “We could not invite everyone; we invited some and they will be able to tell the others that they were recognised.”

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Hanneli Pieterse, Jan Ernst’s mother, said, “I am proud of my son, he worked very hard to achieve this. He is very dedicated to his studies.”