KwaBhekilanga tops in Matric results
ALEXANDRA - Alexandra schools contributed their part to the province achieving the best matric results nationally from the 2014 students. The province was lauded for its achievement when the results were announced yesterday by Angie Motsekga, Minister of Basic Education.
Alexandra schools contributed their part to the province achieving the best matric results nationally from the 2014 students. The province was lauded for its achievement when the results were announced yesterday by Angie Motsekga, Minister of Basic Education.
The results were however a drop from last year’s pass mark and this was also reflect in the pass mark of all Alex schools. The trend was however the same with last year’s performance with KwaBhekilanga retaining top spot with 94.11 percent, dropping by three percent, Alex High with 84 percent, Eastbank High 69.26 percent, Minerva 64 percent and Realogile lagging behind with 59 percent. The above 50 percent performance signifies an overall improvement for the schools which not so long ago were struggling to achieve above this pass mark.
At KwaBhekilanga, the mood was jovial with students, teachers and some parents commiserating on the achievement. The school‘s achievement of the top mark two years in a row was lauded by the school principal Jubere Selowa as deriving from the dedication and partnership of teachers, students and parents. From 119 students, 112 passed and seven failed.
They achieved 19 distinctions with the top achiever notching four distinctions, 42 percent qualified for university, 42.9 for diplomas and 15 percent senior certificates. Selowa said these results were an outcome of hard work by the teachers who dedicated their after school time and on weekends freely to impart knowledge to students. “Some of the students formed committed study groups at the beginning of the year which set targets they were able to achieve through outstanding results.”
Eastbank High which had targeted an 80% pass mark from its 261 matric students decried the drop but praised the outcome which includes 179 passes, with 44 qualifying for university, 74 for diplomas and 58 with higher certificates. Seventy nine students failed.
Josephine Mokgoatlheng, deputy principal said while they dropped from last year’s 86.7%, they retained the number three spot. “We will analyse the marks to determine the causes for the reduced pass mark and work our remedies in conjunction with the department and parents.”
She attributed some of the causes to student absenteeism, failure to submit school based assessments and also over age students who struggle to cope among the younger ones.
“Some of our learners are 21 and 22 years old and have misplaced priorities which distract them from concentrating in school work.” Mokgoatlheng said some of these students were referred to Further Education and Training Institutions where they adapted easier to normal school.
