WATCH: ‘40% pass rate does not define us’
Principal Mike Davy hopes to return discipline to the school and added that he wanted to work towards achieving higher pass rate for the class of 2019.
After obtaining the lowest matric pass rate for the Greater Eldorado Park area, Klipspruit West Secondary School’s Student Governing Body (SGB) is determined to make the school great again. According to the SGB chairperson, Jacky Mthombeni, the pass rate has reached a low of 40% because the school has been forgotten about.
“For years now, we have watched our school deteriorate and nothing has been done. Our matriculants doing so badly is not because they are choosing to, it’s because our school has deep-rooted issues that the government is well aware of,” said Mthombeni.
She added that the lack of discipline at the school was a serious concern. “Over the past few years, we have found ourselves in situations where teachers were not present in class when they were supposed to be, which left our children bored and disruptive.
“I’ve had many students complain to me that teachers speak to them in an ill manner and I know of students who are exposed to parents who suffer from substance abuse. Tell me how are our children supposed to know better when they are exposed to the wrong kind of behaviour on a daily basis?” she asked.
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In 2017, teaching and learning at the school was disrupted when residents blocked the school gates and denied teachers access to the school.
“During the shutdown in 2017, the MEC for Gauteng Education, Panyaza Lesufi promised us that changes would happen at the school. Over a year later we are sitting with the same issues. Our school is not being maintained, our classrooms have broken windows, our toilets weren’t working until recently,” she said.
According to the SGB, their goal for this year is to make the school livable for the learners. “We will work on making our school aesthetically pleasing, workable and teachable. We have organised a cleanup campaign to make sure that, at the very least, our children will enter a clean environment,” said Mthombeni.
A new principal, Mike Davy has been appointed to head the school and Mthombeni said of his appointment, “Mr Davy has vast education experience and we believe that he will bring the good necessary change to the school.”
Davy addressed the learners at the assembly on the first day of school and encouraged them to work hard. He said, “As educators, we need to focus on every grade and prepare them accordingly, we’re all in this together. The 40 per cent pass rate does not define us.”
The principal also encouraged the learners to think of a motto and a school song. “A motto will allow us to unite,” he said. Davy hopes to return discipline to the school and added that he wanted to work towards achieving higher pass rate for the class of 2019.
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