MINERVA Secondary School is expecting a higher matric pass this year as a result of a partnership with ENSafrica law firm.
The firm, based at Sankopano Community Centre, provides pro bono services to the community on a range of legal, business and development matters. They responded to the school’s request for support by attaching two chartered accountants who complement the teachers by tutoring Grade 12 pupils in accounting.
The firm’s Fiona Mainole said it was part of their social responsibility to provide legal support to individuals and to provide other essential support to community institutions.
The head of the school’s accounting and economics department, Makhanoane Memela, said the firm provided 28 calculators and the two accountants which helped with revision and in completing the accounting syllabus each Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.
“We expect their input to improve our pass rate from 76 percent last year to 90 percent this year,” he said.
Memela added that they received other tutorial support for grades 10 to 12 in mathematics, physical science and economics from St Mary’s Secondary School, Ernst and Young and Ster Kinekor. “These are challenging subjects, but we expect their support to help us improve the pass mark significantly this year,” he said.
Meanwhile, the support received by the school has assisted one of the students to choose accountancy as a future career.
Sphamandla Jiyane, who is in Grade 11, said he has been interested in numbers from a young age and wants to be a chartered accountant. He said that he attends extra tutorials in accounting, maths and physical science at St Mary’s and wants to improve on his current mark of 74 percent.
“The tutors at St Mary’s are very good and make the subject easier,” he said.
Sphamandla comes from a family of 10 and hopes his chosen career will ease the financial challenges faced by his large family.
