Arts and academics dance together
BRAAMFONTEIN – The National School of the Arts (NSA), renowned for its excellence in specialised education in the arts, has once again proved that it is one of the leading academic government schools in South Africa.
This after its class of 2015 delivered outstanding matric results, living up to the titles bestowed on the school by the Department of Education of a ‘centre of excellence in visual and performing arts’ and a ‘centre of academic excellence’.
The school obtained a 100 percent pass rate, with 90 percent of its pupils obtaining university exemption. Pupils also attained more than 100 distinctions for various subjects.
At an awards event hosted by the department on 5 February, NSA once again walked away with all the major awards including top performing public school (Johannesburg South District), highest overall pass percentage, top performing educators in maths, maths literacy, Afrikaans, history, visual art, design and drama, and top performing pupils in visual art, dramatic arts, mathematical literacy and design.
Leon van Gent, principal of NSA, attributed the school’s phenomenal 17-year academic track record to the fact that NSA pupils excel because they are able to do what they love every day, in terms of their arts subjects, and they possess the self-discipline required to pursue the subjects to NSA’s exacting standards.
“People often have a misconception about the arts and art schools,” Van Gent said.
“They think our kids just swan around having fun and being outrageous all day. Few people outside the arts understand the intense self-discipline required to master art, dance, drama or music. This discipline, together with the joy of doing what they love, translates to all other aspects of school and academic life.”
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