Mandeni schools celebrate incremental academic growth
Although no schools achieved less than a 60% pass rate, the district also had none with the illusive 100% pass.
Mandeni celebrated the top achieving matrics in the district last week but there remains work to be done.
While no schools saw less than a 60% pass rate, there were also none that achieved a 100% pass – with Nkwenkwezi Secondary School the closest at 99.3%. The results prompted Mandeni mayor Thabani Mdlalose to call for 70% as the new lower benchmark and for schools to target the illusive 100% pass rate goal.
For the top achievers however, Wednesday’s celebration at Sibusisiwe community hall was a moment of pride. Luthando Mbatha from Ingobamakhosi Secondary finished as the top pupil with a full house of seven distinctions, followed by Ziyanda Ndlovu from Tugela Secondary and Misokuhle Mgwaba from Kwavusimuzi High School.
“I honestly did not expect to do this well. I knew I would pass and hoped for four or five distinctions, but seven was a complete surprise. I am thrilled that my early mornings and late-night study sessions paid off in the end,” said Mbatha.
She plans to study medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and is hoping her results will help to secure a bursary. The municipality rewarded the top ten pupils by covering their university registration fees, which Mbatha said she was grateful for.
An all-female top three was instructive of a trend in Mandeni, where 16 of the top 20 pupils were girls.
“We celebrate our female pupils because they have proven beyond doubt that women are more than capable and equal to any task,” said Mdlalose.
“These young women succeeded despite challenges, including a system that often does not favour them and they are usually an easy target to threats such as robbery, sexual abuse and harassment,” he said.
Mdlalose closed by highlighting the overall improvement of the iLembe District – of which Mandeni forms a part – in the past few years.
“Not so long ago, the iLembe District, which includes Mandeni schools, Maphumulo, Ndwedwe and KwaDukuza, ranked among the lowest in the province. Today, we consistently compete in the top five of KwaZulu-Natal’s 11 districts,” he said.
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