Johannesburg - A school that was under performing and notorious for gangs, drug peddling and teenage pregnancy is to get a R45-million facelift after its pupils beat all odds and achieved a 100% pass rate in 2016.
Kgokare High School in Sebokeng Zone 7 used to be seen as a dangerous place for one to study. Its infrastructure also leaves a lot to be desired as it is overcrowded, has broken windows, falling roofs and paint that is peeling off.
According to the principal Joyce Makwa, the school faced many challenges such as gangsterism, drug addiction among pupils and high rates of teenage pregnancy.
Makwa also said another challenge was that pupils from initiation schools in the Vaal, where the school is located, used to come there and disrupt classes. However, they involved the police and that stopped.
“For us to get good results, we started morning classes and afternoon classes even at times coming in on Sundays and during school holidays, we are not resting and that has been our winning formula,” said Makwa.
The school then started showing steady improvement performances over the years despite the challenges it was faced with, the learning facility does not even look like a normal high school, the change and the behaviour of the pupils performance started showing in the following years: In 2008, it obtained 29,47% matric pass rate. That increased to 45.88% in 2009. In 2010, the percentage suddenly shot up to 86% followed by an impressive 97% in 2011.
In 2012, went down by two percent to 95%, slightly went up to 96.5% in 2013 then dropped remarkably to 85.9% in 2014.
In 2015, it slightly went up to 90%. However, last year, the school managed an impressive 100% pass rate.
Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lesufi announced on Friday that Kgokare would be revamped to keep the pupils motivated so that they can continue achieving a good pass rate for the school.
He said Kgokare was an extraordinary school and would never be the same again.
“You cannot have a school that has a 100% pass rate but roofs falling. The school looks so ugly, as if it is not a 100% achieving one."
“We have committed ourselves as a department and we have now signed.
“The only remaining thing is for trucks to come in to the school and have it revamped at a tune of 45 million,” said Lesufi.
Lesufi also added that all the learners would receive tablets while teachers would get laptops. All the classrooms would have smart-boards and Wi-Fi, he added.
One of the teachers at the school, Meisie Letshaba, is a two-time award-winning Mathematics teacher in District 8. In 2010, the school’s Maths pass rate stood at 93% but last year it went to 100%.
Leshaba said she achieved all that by dedicating herself to also explaining the importance of learning to pupils.
The school currently has tablets for all Grade 12 pupils and two smart-boards for Grade 12 classes.
Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga, who was also at the event, urged parents to encourage kids to read.
“The Read To Lead campaign is one programme we are pushing, because we are saying reading is a foundational skill and you acquire knowledge through your ability to read and understand what you are reading,” said Motshekga.
She added that librarians must visit and lend books to schools until children can independently visit libraries on their own.