Thousands of matrics from the class of 2023 collected their matric results this morning after the national average was recently announced.
Rekord stopped by Pretoria Secondary and SA Private College in Pretoria Central to catch up with some of the matrics after receiving their results.
“I feel very happy and much more relaxed because yesterday, I was panicking,” said Katlego Sebopela from SA Private College.
Katlego received three distinctions and has been a top-10 learner throughout her schooling. She said that though 2023 was a challenging year for her, her support structure and resilience carried her through.
“It was very tough, especially in the beginning but as it went on, I got the hang of it. There were a lot of failures, mistakes and hard lessons to learn but thanks to my support structure: my parents, teachers and friends, I was able to overcome,” Katlego said.
She said she plans to pursue a career in the medical field, a career path that her mother is very excited about.
“I’m very proud and excited for my daughter. I think she’ll become a medical doctor and that makes me excited,” said her mother, Lindiwe.
SA Private College achieved a 100% pass rate, which is an 8% improvement from the class of 2022. Principal Mark Cloete credits his learners and staff for their hard work, which has led to such an achievement.
“I’m very proud of you, you guys worked so hard and the hard work has paid off. I want to say congratulations and all the best with your future studies,” Cloete said.
The principal said that the school had challenges with mathematics and physical sciences in particular but the school decided to finish the syllabus by June and work on past papers and extra classes after.
The school aims to keep its 100% pass rate this year and extra classes have already begun for the class of 2024 on January 3.
Another Private College matriculant, Mihlali Galeka also wishes to venture into the medical field after receiving her final results.
“I’m proud of myself, this is a reflection of my hard work,” Galeka said.
“2023 was a tough year because I had to adjust to the new ways of doing things. We started having extra classes, Saturday classes and we didn’t do that in Grade 11. The adjustment to the workload was tough but through the grace of God, we made it through,” Galeka continued.
Galeka plans to study at the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University this year to pursue a career in the medical industry and advises the class of 2024 to prioritise their learning.
“Work hard and listen to your teachers, please. Also listen to your body, if it’s telling you to rest, rest. Don’t compromise your health,” Galeka added.
Pretoria Secondary School achieved a pass rate of 87.9%. It is the first time in 10 years that the school has achieved over 80%.
Principal Anton Lombard said he felt relieved and very happy with the results as the school faces many challenges.
“We work with a lot of learners that come from disadvantaged backgrounds, single-parent households, child-headed households, some children come to school without having something to eat. We are also a fee-paying school so a lot of parents have trouble paying fees and buying textbooks and things like that, those are our main challenges,” Lombard said.
With drug use and teenage pregnancy in the spotlight regarding schools, Lombard said that the school hasn’t had incidents related to teenage pregnancy though being based in the inner-city, learners are vulnerable to drug use.
“More should be done at home and in society to help the development of children in this regard,” Lombard said.
“It all starts at home. You can send a message to the kids and it’s forgotten when they leave the gate. The message must still be at home as well because we can’t win this fight on our own. It must be talked about more,” he said.
“Just like when there are elections, you see billboards and posters everywhere addressing national issues, this is a societal problem that needs to be addressed with many others,” Lombard continued.
Lombard wished the class of 2023 all the best and is proud that the school played a small role in shaping their futures.
The principal also wished the best of luck to the class of 2024 as they have a long and challenging road ahead as the school is aiming for 90% this year.
Pretoria Secondary Matriculant, Boitumelo Tsotesi plans to study computer sciences at the University of Johannesburg this year, where she aims to pursue a career in data analysis.
“I feel so happy, God didn’t disappoint. 2023 was so challenging because I used to study and not even sleep so I’m so happy that I got what I worked hard for.”
Tsotesi advised the class of 2024 to study hard because it pays off in the end.
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