Cape Town - Despite being a caregiver to her elderly grandmother and studying in an environment where gang violence was on the rise, Beauvallon Secondary School matriculant Dominique Julius said she was overwhelmed with the bachelor’s certificate she obtained.
“I can’t wait to get home and tell my grandmother - she will be so happy. I am super excited; I set a goal for myself, but I wasn’t sure if I could hold it down.”
Dominique, 18, is one of only two pupils who obtained a bachelor’s certificate at the school, meaning she is eligible for university.
She and her sister Simone Adams, 21, were brought up by their grandmother after their mother left.
Dominique said taking care of her grandmother and managing her school work was “tough”, but what was more difficult was writing exams when gang shoot-outs took place outside the school.
She said she had applied to study language and psychology at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).
“It’s always been my dream to become a student at UWC and now my dream can come true.”
Last year 30 Beauvallon Secondary pupils registered to sit for the matric exams; 14 passed and 11 qualified for rewrites.
Addressing pupils in the foyer, before handing out the results, principal David Lawn said the school had obtained a 46.7 percent pass rate.
“Our summary didn’t look very good this year and we are sensitive to the fact that you guys had to study in difficult situations.”
Beauvallon was one of the 17 schools listed by the education department for possible closure.
Lawn urged those who qualified for rewrites to return.
“This is not the end of the world. Those of you who qualify for rewrites have been given a second chance; do something with your life.
“If you don’t want to return here, get a job, but don’t become a statistic involved in gangs.”
Carmen Brown, a mother who was collecting her daughter’s results, said she was disappointed to see that her child had failed. “I am upset because I could tell during the year that my child was not working.”
Brown’s daughter was not with her.
“She knew she didn’t make it, that’s why she didn’t want to come.”
Cape Argus