Cape Town - A school in Philippi in Cape Town has seen its matric pass rate drop to below 70%, but for the principal of Zisukhanyo Senior Secondary there is a silver lining as a greater number of his pupils have achieved the all-important Bachelor pass which allows for entry into university.
The class of 2017 achieved an overall pass rate of 75.1%, with the Western Cape coming in third with 84.4%, behind the Free State and Gauteng. The National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examination Results for 2017 were announced by South Africa’s Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga on Thursday night.
Babini Fatyela, principal at Zisukhanyo Senior Secondary in Samora Machel, told the African News Agency (ANA) on Friday that the school’s pass rate had dropped from 76.8% to 69.1%, a difference of 7.7%.
However, he said the school was highly delighted with the quality of the results which showed in the number of Bachelor passes which had shot up from 40% in 2016 to 52.3% in 2017.
“So as the school, we feel that the interventions that we have made to ensure that we get quality from the learners that we have, I think we have achieved that and we are so elated about that."
"Yes in terms of the quantity that we have, that’s why I said initially that we are a little bit disappointed, but there will be interventions that will be made to ensure that those learners that couldn’t make it that qualify for supplementary (exams) will give them the necessary support,” said Fatyela.
He also added that the local education district has already indicated that it will also accommodate those learners in preparation for the supplementary exams in the next two months.
Zizipho Dayiman, one of the school learners said she was so excited that she had passed and was going to attend university. She said she did not expect the results as she felt that the exams had not been easy but she had put effort and dedication into her work.
She said that she had applied for university enrollment and would like to study nursing or social work.
Asanda Zilimbola, another of the learners who obtained a Bachelors pass, said she was so excited and satisfied with her results. “I want to do education because I love teaching and I love children. I am more than prepared for varsity life because I have heard a lot about that life, the best way is to stick to your studies and leave everything else aside.”