An Eastern Cape teacher has been lauded as a local hero for dedicating all her spare time to helping pupils pass matric.
Zonke Mbatsha, a teacher at Nyameko High School in Mdantsane, turned her Amalinda home into a classroom for pupils from a number of schools in East London.
She used all her free time to help them with maths literacy and business studies.
The pupils, who had struggled with the subjects, all achieved between 60% and 80% and all passed with university entrances.
The Daily Dispatch was contacted by the pupils, who described Mbatsha as an angel sent to help them.
The Grade 12 maths literacy and business studies teacher has been tutoring free of charge since 2007.
She has even accommodated and fed pupils at times.
Last year she tutored pupils from Hudson Park, Greenpoint Secondary School, West Bank, George Randell, Cambridge and Nyameko.
They started in February and worked closely with her until the end.
Without Mbatsha’s intervention, the pupils believe they could have failed the subjects. They hailed her as their hero, saying teaching was her calling and not simply a job to her.
Mbatsha, whose only child died in 2012, has been teaching since 1990.
Greenpoint matriculant Siyanda Mdledle said: “She is dedicated and focused, and has a positive approach to both the subjects and pupils.
“Without her, definitely, I could not have passed these subjects. I cannot keep quiet about the wonderful work by sis’ Zonke.”
Siyanda, who spent weekends at the teacher’s home, achieved a 61% pass in maths literacy and 51% in business studies.
“She did not charge us a cent for the tutorials and for us to stay at her house and eat her groceries. How many teachers can do this without a reward?
“She is of a special type.”
Hudson Park pupil Thulisa Hina earned 70% for business studies and 62% for maths literacy.
“She was a very big help. She was always calm and sweet. She made the subjects to me like skipping rope.”
Mbatsha was reluctant to speak to the Daily Dispatch, saying her work was inspired by her love of children.
“This is what I would do for my children. I regard them all as mine, hence I don’t charge them,” said a soft-spoken Mbatsha.
Mbatsha said despite the slight improvement in the matric pass rate, teachers needed to pull up their socks for the Eastern Cape to achieve more than 70%.
“But we need pupils who are serious, disciplined and committed to their studies and also need support from the parents,” said Mbatsha.
She said one of the problems that contributed to the number of pupils failing was a lack of understanding of the English language.
“Also the manner teachers relate to pupils plays a big role. Attitudes of both pupils and teachers and their approach to the subject contributed to pupils’ achievements.”
Her colleague Vuyiswa Zindlani described Mbatsha as one of the star teachers in the district.
“She is very dedicated in her work and teaching to her is a calling. She loves children and the children love her.
“She has a special way of communicating with them,” said Zindlani. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
Matrics hail their ‘exam angel’ tutor
Zonke Mbatsha, a teacher at Nyameko High School in Mdantsane, turned her Amalinda home into a classroom for pupils from a number of schools in East London.
She used all her free time to help them with maths literacy and business studies.
The pupils, who had struggled with the subjects, all achieved between 60% and 80% and all passed with university entrances.
The Daily Dispatch was contacted by the pupils, who described Mbatsha as an angel sent to help them.
The Grade 12 maths literacy and business studies teacher has been tutoring free of charge since 2007.
She has even accommodated and fed pupils at times.
Last year she tutored pupils from Hudson Park, Greenpoint Secondary School, West Bank, George Randell, Cambridge and Nyameko.
They started in February and worked closely with her until the end.
Without Mbatsha’s intervention, the pupils believe they could have failed the subjects. They hailed her as their hero, saying teaching was her calling and not simply a job to her.
Mbatsha, whose only child died in 2012, has been teaching since 1990.
Greenpoint matriculant Siyanda Mdledle said: “She is dedicated and focused, and has a positive approach to both the subjects and pupils.
“Without her, definitely, I could not have passed these subjects. I cannot keep quiet about the wonderful work by sis’ Zonke.”
Siyanda, who spent weekends at the teacher’s home, achieved a 61% pass in maths literacy and 51% in business studies.
“She did not charge us a cent for the tutorials and for us to stay at her house and eat her groceries. How many teachers can do this without a reward?
“She is of a special type.”
Hudson Park pupil Thulisa Hina earned 70% for business studies and 62% for maths literacy.
“She was a very big help. She was always calm and sweet. She made the subjects to me like skipping rope.”
Mbatsha was reluctant to speak to the Daily Dispatch, saying her work was inspired by her love of children.
“This is what I would do for my children. I regard them all as mine, hence I don’t charge them,” said a soft-spoken Mbatsha.
Mbatsha said despite the slight improvement in the matric pass rate, teachers needed to pull up their socks for the Eastern Cape to achieve more than 70%.
“But we need pupils who are serious, disciplined and committed to their studies and also need support from the parents,” said Mbatsha.
She said one of the problems that contributed to the number of pupils failing was a lack of understanding of the English language.
“Also the manner teachers relate to pupils plays a big role. Attitudes of both pupils and teachers and their approach to the subject contributed to pupils’ achievements.”
Her colleague Vuyiswa Zindlani described Mbatsha as one of the star teachers in the district.
“She is very dedicated in her work and teaching to her is a calling. She loves children and the children love her.
“She has a special way of communicating with them,” said Zindlani. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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