STAFF REPORTER
Gadra Matric School obtained a 99% pass rate in the 2019 National Senior Certificate examinations, with 160 Bachelor level passes.
In 2019, GMS enrolled just over 200 students. Of these 160 (almost 80%) obtained Bachelor level passes, 39 Diploma passes and two Higher Certificate passes. Two students from the Class of 2019 failed.
Gadra Education Manager Ashley Westaway said, “For the past few years, GMS has specifically focused on enabling its students obtain good quality results. It is thus very pleasing that GMS has again, for the fifth consecutive year, assisted over 100 of its students to obtain a Bachelor level pass.”
What set 2019 apart from previous years, Westaway said, was that the school produced over 150 Bachelors for the first time in its history.
The school’s previous record high had been 120, achieved in 2016.
“So the Bachelor achievement of the Class of 2019 is immense and to an extent mitigates the unfortunate decline in the number of Bachelors produced in the city’s public schools,” Westaway said. “This strong performance in the final examinations confirms that GMS will remain the biggest feeder school for Rhodes University in 2020. Gadra Education is committed to assisting Dr Mabizela (the university’s Vice-Chancellor) in his bid to make the university more accessible to local youth, and GMS is a key institution in this regard.”
Gadra’s Bridging Programme, offered in partnership with Rhodes University, had also expanded significantly, said Westaway. This programme enables students to concurrently upgrade select school subjects and register at Rhodes for a first-year credit. If students pass this subject, they can complete their junior degrees over the following three years.
“Thirty-one students were afforded Bridging opportunities in 2019, thanks to the progressive leadership of Dr Mabizela,” Westaway said. “We are thrilled that 30 of these students made full use of this opportunity by securing their respective credits. Special mention should be made of Sivenathi Duma who obtained distinctions in both his BComm subjects, namely Theory of Finance and Statistics.
“Gadra Education would like to thank and commend all those responsible for producing such stellar results: the Principal (Melanie Lancaster), the teachers, the students and their parents and other family members.
“The purpose of GMS is to afford young people who have already written NSC examinations the opportunity to upgrade their matric results. The 160 Bachelor passes referred to above derive from combining GMS results with results obtained from the initial set of examinations.
“It therefore goes without saying that the success of GMS is contingent upon a functional local public schooling system. The organisation recognises that it builds on the prior efforts of all local public schools. Gadra is a community initiative; the organisation belongs to all of Grahamstown and depends on a vast array of local people and institutions for its success.”
The closing date for GMS applications for 2020 is 15 January. Application forms are available from the Gadra Education offices at 1 Thompson Street.
https://www.grocotts.co.za/2020/01/20/matric-results-a-different-perspective/
