LIMPOPO – FORMER learners, teachers, school governing bodies, schools and education circuit managers were honoured during the Greater Letaba Municipality mayoral education excellence awards held at Sekgosese High School recently.
The recipients were honoured for producing outstanding gr. 12 results last year.
The day belonged to Malaika Phosa from Modubatse Secondary School in the Rakwadu circuit, who won the award for best learner. Phosa, who is currently studying medicine at Wits University, also won the award for best mathematics learner after obtaining 97% and best physical science learner with 99%.
Koketso Lebea from Sekgosese Secondary School in the Sekgosese East circuit won the award for best accounting learner with 94%.
Mildren Ncube from Mameriri Secondary School in the Rakwadu circuit won the best mathematics teacher award, while the best physical science teacher award went to Z.B. Mutoredzanwa from Khesethwane High School in the Mawa circuit.
The most improved school award went to Mashao Secondary School in the Modjadji circuit. The school improved from a 42,6% matric pass rate in 2013 to 87,5% in 2014, while Magoletsa High School and Blue Mountain Secondary School, both from the Rakwadu circuit, were the joint winners of the top best schools award for obtaining 100% matric pass rates.
Mashopha and Motsipa Secondary Schools, both in the Modjadji circuit and Sekgosese Secondary School in the Sekgosese East circuit, won the awards for producing the high number of learners who qualify to study for bachelors degrees. The best circuit award went to Modjadji, while Sekgosese East won the most improved circuit award.
Masopha High School won an award for having the best school governing body.
The winners received prize money ranging from R2 000 to R5 000, as well as computer tablets, trophies, and certificates.
Some of the teachers, principals and their schools received mayoral special awards in the form of trophies and prize money from Greater Letaba mayor, City Modjadji.
Modjadji said the municipality was committed to assist learners from poor families to obtain a tertiary education so that they could better their lives and that of their families.
“The bursaries we awarded cover everything that is needed for a student to complete their studies. We decided to give them 100% bursaries after realising that most families of bursary recipients were struggling to raise 10% of the required amount,” Modjadji explained.
He said this year, the municipality had awarded 23 bursaries to learners from underprivileged families to study at various tertiary institutions.
Modjadji, who himself has just completed a Bachelor of Public Administration degree, reminded learners and parents that education was the key to a better life.
Acting education MEC, Jerry Ndou, commended the municipality for celebrating and acknowledging excellence in education and for awarding bursaries to learners whose families could not afford to send them to tertiary institutions.
Motivational speaker, Victor Seshoka, said success demanded hard work.
