By Siphiwe Nyathi
Bushbuckridge - Mpumalanga's most improved no-fee school went from a matric pass rate of below 20% to 100% in the space of one year.
Mathukwane Secondary School in Casteel near Bushbuckridge achieved a mere 19.4% matric pass in 2012.
“I am very happy for the drastic improvement. We are aiming for the better quality this year and hoping to increase the number of the admission to bachelor degrees,” school principal Farris Siwela told African Eye News Service.
Siwela attributed the school's success to teamwork involving provincial education officials, teachers, pupils and parents.
He said the school addressed a shortage of chairs and desks to ensure that pupils study in a comfortable environment.
"Pupils were encouraged to do their work both in the classroom and at home while the teachers were closely monitoring everything. We are happy with the progress and we can still do better this year,” he said.
Thabang Malele, 19, is one pupil whose marks were high enough to make him eligible to apply for a Bachelor's Degree.
“We did not have enough study materials so our teachers had to outsource them from a neighbouring school. We did not have everything but our attitude and hard work paid off," said Malele.
He said pupils attended a one-month camp at the school to ensure they studied and interacted with the teachers.
Malele said although he passed very well, he did not apply to university. His dream is to pursue a career in traffic management.
Another best performer, Mahlatse Mmola, 18, cried when she learnt that she did very well in all subjects.
“I want to thank my parents and teachers for their support. My mother gave me less domestic work to make sure that I get time to study while my teachers motivated me to study and availed themselves any time,” said Mmola, who wants to study as a social worker at the University of Limpopo this year. – SAnews.gov.za
