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www.thevillagenews.co.za
3 March 2021
LOVE A LITTLE LOCAL
Matric results ‘something to celebrate’ A lthough the national pass rate for last year’s National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam dropped by more than 5 percentage points to 76.2%, the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga commended the class of 2020. The year was characterised by resilience, she said, as the matrics had to adapt to the many disruptions and obstacles presented by the Covid-19 pandemic in their crucial, final year of school.
dedication – even in times of uncertainty and fear.”
“We were always unsure as to what the impact would be on our matriculants and their performance in the NSC, and from an education perspective the results are, in many ways, something to celebrate,” said the Head of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), Brian Schreuder in a statement released last week.
Hermanus High School achieved a 98% pass rate, of which 86.3% were Bachelor passes. A total of 19 matrics had A-aggregates, and the school’s top academic achiever was Danie Gouws (95.8%), who also came out tops in the country in mathematics (100%), in addition to scoring 93% in die IEB Applied Mathematical Programme. His other results are no less impressive: 94% for Afrikaans Home Language, 87% for English Home Language, 99% for Engineering Graphics & Design, 97% for Life Orientation, 97% for Accounting and 98% for Physical Science. Danie has received more awards, prizes, certificates and trophies for his matric performance than most people will accumulate in a lifetime!
“We are therefore pleased that the impact of Covid-19 on our class of 2020 wasn’t more severe. The Western Cape pass rate declined by 2.4% (to 79.9%), which is the lowest decline in the country. Our candidates also achieved the highest Bachelor pass rate ever (43.8%).” He added that the WCED was extremely proud of the province’s learners, teachers and principals. “We salute their resilience, fortitude and
Northcliff Northcliff House College achieved a 100% pass rate for the third year in a row and is particularly proud of Nosiviwe Matikinca, who joined the school from Qhayiya Secondary in her matric year in order to realise her dream of studying art. With the donation of funds raised by the Hermanus First Fridays (HFF) Artwalk during the Night of a Thousand Drawings in December 2019, the Hermanus Visual Art
& Design Centre was able to give Nosi the opportunity to study at Northcliff House, where she could take both Visual Art and Design as matric subjects.
Although it could not have been easy for Nosi to change schools in the middle of a chaotic pandemic, she passed all her subjects, obtaining 75% for Design and 84% for Visual Art. She will be studying Fine Art at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University from 15 March. Nosi thanked the HFF committee and her teachers, Jeandré Marinier and Vivienne Mitchley, for giving her this opportunity. Qhayiya Secondary School in Zwelihle unfortunately saw a drop in its pass rate from 84.7% to 63.2%. Of the 182 candidates that wrote the NSC exam, 115 passed and 67 failed. The school’s 54 Bachelor passes (29.7%) are also down from last year (41.6%). Hawston Secondary School’s pass rate of 75.6% is slightly down from the encouraging 80% they achieved in 2019, but the school is very proud of its 25 Bachelor passes and the hard work and determination of their top student, Lyle Arendse, who achieved four distinctions and an aggregate of 78.9%. – Hedda Mittner
ABOVE: Hermanus High School’s top 10 students: At the back, from left are Michaela Lawrence, Anna van Deventer, Gerphan Louw, Mia Burgess, Kaylan Miller and Amé Yue. In front are Greg Earle, Sam Cutts, Luschke Labuschagne and Danie Gouws. PHOTO: Hedda Mittner BELOW: Northcliff High’s matric class of 2020: At the back are Uan Manuel, Collen Mteyise, Lwando Mbovane, Peter Africa and Ravick Black, (middle) Lara du Plessis, Keegan du Plessis and Teacher Katherine Liefeldt, and (front) Nosi Matikinca and Sinebongo Qebeyi. PHOTO: Supplied
