#MatricResults2018: Kimberley pupil earns bragging rights with 7 distinctions

Kimberley - Matriculants in the Northern Cape, who wrote the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations in October and November last year have done the Province proud, with one Kimberley pupil scoring an almost full-house, bagging a total of seven distinctions.

St Patrick’s CBC pupil, Ogechikama Ogu obtained distinctions in Accounting (89%), Afrikaans (80%), Business Studies (83%), Life Orientation (84%), Maths (91%) and Physical Sciences (85%). She also obtained 85% for Advanced Mathematics.

Other top scorers in the school’s matric class were Tsholofelo Mogotsi, who obtained four distinctions including 84% for Accounting, 82% for Life Orientation, 81% for Life Sciences and 88% for Maths; Palesa Vilakazi, who also bagged four As, scoring 80% for Afrikaans, 81% for Business Studies, 88% for Dramatic Arts and 85% for Life Orientation; and Siphesihle Basi, who obtained 86% for Dramatic Arts, 80% for Life Orientation and 91% for Maths Literacy.

Jacques Tredoux, Executive Head of St Patrick’s CBC, said on Wednesday that he was delighted with the results achieved. “We have once again achieved a 100% pass rate, while 90.91% obtained Bachelor degree passes.”

According to Tredoux, the school’s matric class obtained 22 A symbols, 37 B symbols, and 49 C symbols in a class of 22 Grade 12s.

“The average achieved by our Matrics is 65,16%. This is the highest average achieved by this group in their entire high school career. This is evident of the staff and pupils’ hard work and dedication and I am extremely proud of all my teaching staff, as a solid foundation is laid from Foundation phase, right through to high school.”

The national pass rate for IEB learners in the country was 98.92%, compared to last year’s pass rate of 98.76%.

All candidates who passed achieved a pass that is good enough to enter tertiary study at one of the three levels: 90.65% (compared to 88.50% in 2017) of the cohort achieved entry to degree study; 7.33% (compared to 8.95% in 2017) qualified for entry to diploma study and 0.95% (compared to 1.30% in 2017) achieved entry for study at the Higher Certificate level.

A statement released by the IEB yesterday stated that the increase in the percentage pass rate for entry to bachelor degree studies could be attributed to the removal of the list of designated subjects.

“Previously in addition to the normal pass requirements for the NSC, the attainment of 50% or more in a minimum of four designated subjects was required for entry to degree study. In 2018, the list of designated subjects was removed. Learners must still get 50% in a minimum of four subjects; however the 50% requirement can apply to any subject excluding Life Orientation.”