There are celebrations at Helpmekaar Kollege in Johannesburg as as matric learners collect their grade 12 results.
The school has achieved a 100% university pass rate with some of the top achievers obtaining several distinctions.
Dene Potgieter, who obtained five distinctions, says it took hard work and dedication to obtain good results.
“I did really well, I am very happy with my marks. I can go study what I wanted to study. I got five distinctions; it was to keep calm and not to allow the occasion to get too big for my head. So [I had] to stay calm and prepare like I would for any other exam or else I would have a panic attack. So, I remained calm and worked hard. I’m going to Stellenbosch [University] to study my accounting and law degree,” she adds.
Reddam House in Ballito north of Durban, where the matriculants wrote the Independent Examination Board’s exams, achieved a 100% university pass rate with some of the top achievers obtaining eight distinctions.
Top achievers Gia Naicker and Krina Krishnaswamy, who placed first and second respectively in the school, say they are ecstatic with their results.
“It’s incredible, it feels unreal. I worked really hard to get here but I owe it to a lot of people. I’m very thankful for the people in our lives. It’s just a lot of hard work and dedication. It feels amazing.”
“It’s all the hard work paid off in the end. I knew I had to dive into the books and stuff because during the year I had balanced sports and going out and working. But when it came to finals, I just had to nail it to the end.”
In Limpopo, the Maseala Progressive Secondary School outside Polokwane has also achieved a 100% rate.
The school’s top learner has five distinctions.
The school principal Abraham Mmethi has attributed the results to a team effort.
“Our achievement is 100% which we are making it a culture in our school. Because no learner must be left behind. We are overjoyed, the achievement wasn’t only [for] the learners who sat down and wrote the exams, it was the parents as well who provided the material support. Great effort from the teachers as well. Their commitment [and] their dedication,” adds Mmethi.
Maseala Progressive Independent School pass rate:
-Additional reporting by Mahlatse Phaladi and Nonhlakanipho Magwaza
