A proud Ntsika Senior School principal Madeleine Schoeman could not contain her excitement when speaking to Grocott's Mail about the achievements of the class of 2013.
A proud Ntsika Senior School principal Madeleine Schoeman could not contain her excitement when speaking to Grocott's Mail about the achievements of the class of 2013.
"This is the best group we've had in many years," said the former Victoria Girls High principal who took over the reigns at Ntsika in 2011.
The school achieved a pass rate of 62%, with seven Bachelor passes and fifteen Diploma passes. This is a serious overhaul compared to the 2011 and 2012 results of 46,3% and 28,8 % respectively.
At the top of the class of 2013 is Nosibabalo Tetani from Extension 9 with a Bachelor pass scoring over 70% in five subjects.
Tetani has been accepted at Rhodes University for an extended course in BA Journalism and Media studies.
Tetani shared her journey with us and what became clear is that it wasn't smooth sailing for her. She said it was a challenge having to share a room at home, as it meant that she did not have a conducive study space.
"I managed to make things work and my cousin who was also doing Matric was very supportive, so she was my study partner at home," she said.
Tetani also said transport was a big issue during her evening classes, as Ntsika is situated in Extension 7 and she lives in Extension 9.
Shoeman attributed the success of the school to the hard work of the learners and teachers alike and other stakeholders such as Rhodes University.
In a statement to the press she said, "These are the achievements of so many of the learners, especially those who did not think twice about sacrificing evenings, weekends and holidays to study at school. They used every opportunity that came their way, such as initiatives by Rhodes University staff, the Mobile Science lab, lessons offered by subject advisors of the District Office, the Dimension Data e-learning machines, extra lessons at school, and many, many past exam papers. These learners' success bears testimony to the efforts of the wider Grahamstown community and the commitment of many, many people."
