Last updated on 23/04/2022
Masentle Mokiti.
A school located in a township faced with pressing social issues including crime and a high rate of drug and substance abuse has beaten the odds to score an impressive 97.6% matric pass rate.
Moemedi High School in Bloemfontein in Bloemfontein improved from 90.7% in the 2020 matric results to an impressive 97.6, an increase of 6.9%.
Cecilia Phuroe who has been the school’s principal for over 4 years said they gave 2021 matriculants all they could to succeed. She said they have worked tirelessly as a team of teachers to ensure the best results.
“Although we were faced with challenges along our journey, we never stopped pushing,” she said.
They hosted two-month camps for matrics. She said the camps offered the learners from Rocklands township a new breeze of life as a change of scenery from the troubled township offered them an opportunity to get away from distractions.
Phuroe said different committees set up by the school effectively dealt with unacceptable behaviour among learners on the school’s premises. Nonetheless, she stated that sometimes dealing with such issues delayed their educational progress.
With regards to the covid-19 pandemic Phuroe said “2021 was a lot better compared to 2020 when Covid 19 was new. In the previous year we were already used to the adjusted strategy of teaching.”
History teacher Palesa Ramabolu said the Covid 19 pandemic limited their teaching time with the reoccurring breaks due to regulations set in place.
“The matrics only experienced the real exam in September, which they should’ve done in June,” she said.
Ramabolu said the shrunken curriculum including the annual teaching plan became a huge inconvenience.
“It felt as though the department was throwing us in the lion’s den and we had to figure out a backup plan,” she said.
Even so, Ramabolu said they strived hard to produce the best results while sacrificing their social lives.
“The strong relationship that we have built with our learners extends beyond being just teachers, we are also their parents,” she stated.
The teachers were not the only ones met with challenges but the matriculants as well.
Learner Mochadi Kananelo, 21, expressed how she was determined to achieve good results often rising in morning to make the long walk to school even in pouring rain.
“I knew that if I gave up, I wouldn’t be educated enough to become the voice of my voiceless community,” she said.
Kananelo said she learnt the hard way having failed three times in the past. Hanging with the wrong crowd and indulging in senseless activities was the reason for her fall but she saw the light and is now a proud matriculant.
The Eastern Cape province scored an increase of 13% from a low 68% to an improved 73%.
Amangile Ngcape, 18, from the rural village of Mqanduli said as a 2021 matric learner she managed to survive the year through the support of her single mother.
Ngcape who attended Dudumba Secondary school said she was often bullied by her peers who were irritated by her dedication and commitment to her schoolwork. She further said the 30-minute walk to and from school was not a hindrance as she was determined to reach her goals.
The youth said she wants to study nursing so that she can help the sick people in her community.
“Other nurses from other places do not treat our people well and end up endangering their lives,” she concluded.
The Free State province scored a 85.7% pass average, followed by Gauteng with 82.8% while Limpopo sits at the bottom with 66.7%. – news@mukurukuru.co.za
