Three Pretoria schools top Gauteng university entrees list
“It is difficult to study during load-shedding, especially working with candles or one light when it was dark."
Three Pretoria east schools have won awards for being the top-performers in the province.
Die Hoërskool Menlopark, Hoërskool Waterkloof, and Hoërskool Garsfontein learners scored the most university passes despite confronting dreadful load-shedding and Covid-19.
The Tshwane South district schools pushed their district to second overall in the province, announced Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane on Friday.
“I want to congratulate the class of 2022 who had to navigate two years of disrupted schooling in 2020 and 2021, brought on by the emergence of Covid-19, and an overloaded curriculum programme in the run-up to their Grade 12 exit examinations for their achievement in the 2022 national senior certificate (NSC) examinations.”
Chiloane also congratulated the province’s matrics for achieving an outstanding 84.4% pass rate.
“This achievement is a 1.7% improvement from the 2021 results of 82.8% and puts Gauteng as the second top performing province in South Africa.”
He said all 15 Gauteng districts performed above 80%, with four in the top 10 performing districts in the country with a pass rate of more than 85% each.
Tshwane South placed fourth nationally as it recorded a pass rate of 89.96% while Tshwane North recorded 83.46% and Tshwane West 81.98%.
Chiloane said the class of 2022 in Gauteng achieved the highest number of bachelor passes in the country, the highest achieved in the province since 1996.
“Of the 113 006 candidates who passed their matric, 58 119 achieved a bachelor pass. We also obtained 43 300 distinctions, the second highest in the country.”
He said the bachelor passes increased to 43.4% in 2022.
Hoërskool Waterkloof was excited for achieving a 100% pass rate, 876 distinctions (including for alpha math).
The 18-year-old matric learners from Hoërskool Waterkloof gave us some insight into how their schooling journey from grades 10 to 12 went in light of the challenges they faced.
Inge Venter said: “I am extremely happy and blessed to have overcome unforeseen challenges leading to receiving matric results. I managed to obtain seven distinctions in my seven subjects, achieving over 90% in them”.
Venter said preliminary exams were extremely challenging, while 2022 was a difficult year filled with ups and downs.
“I managed through all the dilemmas as I had support from friends and family.”
She said she would be studying accounting at Stellenbosch university and thereafter train at PWC with the view to continue her work in her already existing non-profit.
Rochelle van der Vyver said it was incredible to finish her secondary schooling phase.
“It is a relief that it is finally over.”
Van der Vyver said she was fortunate that her hard work paid off as she scored distinctions for all her nine subjects.
She said it was challenging as there wasn’t much time to study during load-shedding.
“It is difficult to study during load-shedding, especially working with candles or one light when it is dark.
“I had to make it work or rise earlier.”
Van der Vyver said she was looking forward to study medicine at the University of Pretoria (UP) and then specialise in dermatology.
Christiaan Jansen van Vuuren said he was happy with eight distinctions.
He said his mother passed away towards the end of his exams and added that that was a difficult period for him.
Jansen van Vuuren said he would study actuarial science at UP.
Die Hoërskool Menlopark learners were also excited about their results after achieving a 100% pass rate, 964 distinctions (including for alpha math).
“The Menlopark High School’s matrics are performing exceptionally again! We are proud of each 2022 matriculant and together with each of these learners, grateful for outstanding results.”
Clarise Swart said she obtained eight distinctions, but it was tough for her.
“I aim to go study medicine at Stellenbosch university or UP.
Schalk Grobler said studying through Covid-19 was enjoyable for him, and learning that he had scored eight distinctions was exhilarating.
“Studying during Covid was a breeze as I could work at my own pace.”
He said he would study medicine at Wits.
The GDE further detailed that it would meet the public schools that performed below 65% to put into place interventions to improve the performance of the schools.
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