Known as the St. John’s College Academy, the programme was initiated in 2009 as a project to assist boys from disadvantaged schools.
The academy offers after school lessons to a select group of participants who show academic potential. These pupils are selected based on their capacity in mathematics and physical science.
The pupils mostly come from Masibambane College in Orange Farm and Barnato Park High School in Berea.
The academy is entirely sponsored and the boys from Grade 10 to Grade 12 are invited to attend extra lessons in the afternoon, every weekday at St John’s. The lessons are facilitated by the staff at the college.
The participants enjoy a holistic educational experience and are encouraged to develop many life skills during their time at the academy.
The most promising achievers are assisted with bursaries or are placed in learnerships once they complete their matric.
The 2014 Grade 12 examinations showed many of these boys achieving promising results despite having difficult home lives.
Out of this group are two notable pupils, Lwazi Nzimande and Bongani Motsweni.
Nzimande is one of 11 siblings and achieved six distinctions including 98 percent for mathematics and 95 percent for physical science.
He was awarded the bursary to study Sixth Form and write his A Levels at St John’s College this year.
Motsweni lives in Orange Farm with his unemployed mother and siblings. He achieved 93 percent for mathematics and 93 percent for physical science.
He will study at the University of the Witwatersrand with a bursary from Momentum Life.
This year, the academy hopes to focus closer to home and include the participation of boys from underprivileged schools closer to St John’s College.
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