It was jubilation, loud screams and plenty of hugs for Mdantsane’s Ulwazi High School matriculants when they heard the school had achieved its fourth 100% matric pass rate in a row.
Ulwazi, one of the poorest schools in Mdantsane, managed to again beat the odds by scoring a perfect 100% matric pass rate by its 62 pupils.
Ulwazi is situated in the township’s NU2 area, known for criminal activities, but it was the only school in the township to be counted among the best performers in the Eastern Cape, making the list of top 50 best-performing schools in the province.
The school’s class of 2018 managed to amass 37 distinctions.
In 2015, the school was honoured for their outstanding performance by then-president Jacob Zuma, who slaughtered a cow and handed the pupils gifts that included iPads.
Principal Nomampondomise Kosani on Friday refused to speak to the Dispatch about the school’s matric success.
One of the school’s outstanding pupils, Somelezi Mjekula, 17, who achieved a 100% pass for both maths and physical science, said he was over the moon.
“We were playing at the beginning of the year, but due to pressure from our teachers, we changed our ways and focused more on our books.
“The maths and science programmes I attended over weekends helped me a lot in achieving these distinctions,” said Mjekula, who will be enrolling for an engineering degree at UCT.
His classmate, Bongolwethu Booi, 18, said their achievement was as a result of team work.
“We worked as a group while camping for these exams. This achievement is not only for us but for the entire school,” Booi said.
Booi praised the commitment of their teachers.
At nearby Mzomhle High School, principal Malusi Koltana could not contain his joy after the school improved from a 38.2% pass rate in 2017, to 72.1% of their 43-strong class of 2018.
He said the turnaround was as a result of hard work and dedication shown by both teachers, pupils and parents.
Koltana said the school now expected nothing less than an 80% pass rate from the class of 2019.
One of Mzomhle’s top achievers, Lutho Mndayi, 17, who achieved a 100% pass for both maths and physical science, said the support of his family and teachers had been pivotal.
Mndayi, who will soon enrol for an engineering degree at UCT, advised 2019’s matrics to work hard as a team, and “not be greedy with sharing information with fellow pupils”.
“Working as a group and sharing information will assist them in getting a better understanding of the subjects they will be writing at the end of the year,” said Mndayi...