Phagameng High School gears up early for new academic year

Instead of starting their last school year on Wednesday 17 January like other learners, 221 of the 224 matric learners reported for school on Monday 8 January — more than a week earlier than the official starting date.

The school boasted an increase of 22% in their pass rate last year and a determined principal, Maggie Laka, wants to keep this momentum going. “We just cannot wait for the 2023 results. We need to be proactive,” she said.

After implementing an intervention plan in 2022, the pass rate increased from 61,8% to an impressive 84,4%. It was a true team effort, with school staff, supporting officials from the Limpopo Education Department, and stakeholders from the District Office contributing to improving matric results. The local community and taxi owners supported us and made it possible for learners to attend extra classes.

The school started with enrichment classes not only on Saturdays but also during school holidays. Learners were encouraged to study at the school in the afternoons, as not all have a quiet place with a desk to study at home. Taxi drivers offered to take learners home for free as it was quite dark at 19:00 and it was not safe for them to walk home.

Several incentives were implemented for top performers in Grd 11 of 2023 such as school trips and iPads and laptops.

According to Laka, they hope to achieve the same success with their 2023 matric results.

The matric results will be announced on Friday, 19 January.