Soweto pupils go for broke

It is the dream of many Grade 12 pupils to be among the top achievers in the country and rub shoulders with Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga and her team when she announces the names of significant performers live on national television.

Every year, the top achievers in the country are awarded an opportunity to spend time with Motshekga, to be treated like royalty at a ministerial breakfast and later receive prizes, live on TV. To try to make this dream come true for some of its pupils, Reasoma Secondary School matrics began classes early this year, kicking off the new academic year yesterday while the majority of their peers in Gauteng were still recovering from festive season fever.

Reasoma has made its mark for producing some of the best matric results in Soweto over the years and it aims to keep up the trend. Phumzile Nkosi, 19, is among those aiming higher this year. She wants her name to be on the list of Motshekga’s 2017 top achievers.

“I am very happy to be in Grade 12. I never thought that I would be in Grade 12 this year because I repeated a grade last year. Lots of bad things happened, but I managed to focus on my studies.

“I thank God that I made it and I am hoping to get seven distinctions. I want to be on TV when the results are announced. I want my results to be announced on TV, before everyone else gets theirs,” Nkosi said.

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Nkosi said starting classes before her peers in other schools was a way of making sure Soweto was on the list when the results were announced next year.

Lerato Majoafi, who turns 19 today, is also excited to be back at school. She believes this is an opportunity to focus on her goals and make them come true. She thinks she will benefit a lot from the earlybird process.

Mojoafi and schoolmates Tebogo Ntlokotsi, 19, Linda Zitha, 18, and Mthokozisi Thwala, 18, said being in Grade 12 was a great achievement for them because the majority of their peers had not made it into the grade.

An elated Ntlokosi said: “I thank God. I wouldn’t have made it without Him.”

Zitha, a future businessperson, said he loved money and would ensure he reached his goal of becoming an entrepreneur. Although his friend Thwala had mixed feelings about starting school early, he said it was for a good cause.

“This is my 13th year wearing a school uniform and I am excited. I want to study tourism because I am good at it.”

– vicky@citizen.co.za