Top achieving Helderberg matriculants and schools were among those in the province honoured for outstanding achievements at the Western Cape 2022 National Senior Certificate (NSC) Awards last week.
The ceremony, which saw five of the basin’s schools honoured, was hosted at Leeuwenhof, the premier’s residence, last Thursday (2 February).
Parel Vallei High (PV) placed 18th in the top 20 government and independent schools in the province. The Somerset West school boasts a 100% pass rate in the 2022 NSC exams, 91% bachelor pass rate and a total of 456 subject distinctions.
Furthermore, with an average of 96,86%, PV’s dux learner and top performer Christian Kotzé placed fifth out of the province’s top 40 candidates.
Said PV principal David Schenck: “This is a very big moment and I am extremely proud that our 239 matrics all worked together to get PV onto the list of the top 20 schools in the province. We are a co-ed, bilingual school with 1 300 learners and a large matric class of 239 learners. To overcome these challenges and support each learner in achieving their individual academic potential is a commendable achievement!”
Johann de Kock, deputy principal and head of academics, added: “These positive results serve as a special motivation and gives our team energy to continue to build on what we have already achieved while we will continue to celebrate the excellence within each learner’s ability.”
Improvement sought in 2023
The pair shared hopes to push the school’s number of subject distinctions up to 600 and Bachelors’ pass rate up to 95%, while urging learners to embrace the responsibility they have to be, think and work independently while striving for excellence.
Schenck lauded Christian’s achievements and the school’s ability to maintain the 100% pass rate for the fifth consecutive year. “The top three learners in the province were also the top three in the country so for Christian to come fifth is a fantastic achievement! I am very proud of him, so is the school and PV staff. We forget that the class of 2022 spent two years going through Covid, so to pull through that and then achieve a 100% pass rate for the fifth consecutive year, is phenomenal.
“To be placed 18th with our top 10 learners achieving an average of 90%, the top 100 learners 79% and a total of 456 subject distinctions is remarkable! The number of subject distinctions has come down in all schools across the board, so it is good to see we kept our standards up.”
Simanyene Secondary and Nomzamo High in the greater Lwandle area were among the top 10 public schools with 30 or more candidates that showed the greatest improvement in its pass rate from 2020 to 2022. Simanyene placed seventh with Nomzamo in ninth position.
The schools also clinched fifth and seventh place respectively for having shown the greatest increase in the percentage of candidates achieving access to Bachelor’s degree studies for the same period, as well as consistency in the number of Grade 12 candidates.
Simanyene High principal Monwabisi Matshoba said they are elated that the hard work of staff and learners earned what they so deserved. He shared that one of the measures they implemented to achieve improved results was a mini maths camp with an intensive weekend programme in preparation for an important Monday exam. The result was 81% in mathematics literacy – a percent more than the school’s goal.
“What we achieved is truly great and we appreciate the dedication from teachers, and the willingness and focus from learners. The award serves as proof that we are on the right track,” said Matshoba, adding they are preparing to further improve this year’s results.
Nomzamo High principal Chris Mgubanto is ecstatic about the school’s class of 2022’s achievement. “It is so good to be recognised for the hard work,” said Mgubanto, who added it is the first time the school achieved a pass rate above 70%, a target the school had been aiming for since 2016.
After exceeding its target through needed change in strategy and jumping to 80%, Mgubanto said Nomzamo is setting its sights on a new target – an increase in the Bachelor’s pass rate and education quality.
Private schools honoured
Private institutions Montgomery & Miller Academy and Somerset West Private School (SWPS) were both recognised for excellence in academic performance among the top three schools with an NSC enrolment of less than 80 candidates. Both schools maintained their 100% pass rate.
SWPS is exceptionally proud of its 2022 results and the awards it reaped for the second consecutive year. “The school has a long-standing tradition of academic excellence, with a 100% pass rate for 25 consecutive years. This year the school also achieved a 100% Bachelor’s pass rate. This is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the school’s commitment to providing a well-rounded education,” a statement from SWPS read.
The school’s 28 candidates achieved 48 subject distinctions and 51 subject B-symbols, with a 71,2% overall average.
