Despite a student boycott that brought education to a halt at Nelson Mandela’s alma mater, Clarkebury High in Ngcobo, 67% of its matrics passed.
The school, which attracts pupils from East London and Cape Town, improved its pass rate of 62.2% in 2017.
But 200km away at Chief Henry Bokleni High School in Libode, which had its administration block torched, the matric pass rate plunged from 40% to 25%.
At Clarkebury the number of enrolled matrics was 203, and there were 32 progressed pupils. Of the 169 pupils who wrote matric 114 passed, 26 failed and 29 will write supplementary exams. There were 54 bachelors’ passes, 36 diplomas and 24 higher certificates.
Clarkebury principal Ayanda Matshayana said: “We have improved but we fell short of reaching the target we set of 70%.”
The improvement came from opening the schools a week before the official opening nationally, extra catch-up classes, team teaching “and we invited teaching experts from other schools. There was also intensive teaching in January, February and March.''
Matsha said this year’s matrics were already hard at work, having started class on January 5.
The results had come despite drama in November when the matrics, some of them drunk, clashed in mid-exams with their school teachers and security guards.
Amid threats to burn the hostel, Matshayana said the boarders were banished from their hostel. Staff and guards were pelting them with stones and spraying water.
Despite the turmoil, the matrics were allowed to write their exams, eat hostel meals and attend afternoon and weekend classes. He said this was the second eruption from the matrics in 2018.
It was worse in Libode’s dilapidated Chief Henry Bokleni High when, in August 2018, an administration block was set on fire and crucial matric materials were burnt.
The school’s principal, Zalisile Joyi said: “The burning of the school and the ill-discipline among the pupils and the dilapidated structures impacted badly on our performance as a school and it left us all disappointed.”
The school was also hit by arsonists in February 2016, which saw matric results that year plunge from 35% to 24%.
It improved in 2017 to 40.2%.
Nearby, Cibeni Senior Secondary was celebrating a pass rate of 76%. The rate has been over 70% for a decade.
Proud principal Sonwabile Njani said: “It is most important to craft a proper plan with your staff at the beginning of the year.”..