Matric pass partnership

Church, school push up rate to 74%

PORT Elizabeth’s St Stephen’s Anglican Church and Cowan High School will celebrate a partnership today that has led to a matric pass rate rise from 38% to 74% in five years. The school and church, both in New Brighton, will celebrate their joint success at a glitzy gala dinner at Nangoza Jebe Hall. Port Elizabeth businessman and civil society leader Sakumzi Macozoma will be guest speaker. Cowan High School principal Trevor Dolley said the church taught biblical principles which restored family values at the school. “We believe there must be a bond and that the church and the school should move together,” he said. “The church enhances the spiritual values and also rekindles that family value which is in line with the school vision.” Dolley said even though the church and school had different roles they were interlinked. “This was a very good gesture by the church. I do not know any church in New Brighton which has partnered with a school and that makes us unique,” he said. The partnership started on May 7 2010 when the school had a paltry 38% matric pass rate.

This slowly improved to 48% for the 2011 matric class, then jumped to 73% for the 2012 matric class, and 75% for the 2013 matric class. The pass rate for last year’s matric class was 74%, with Dolley not speculating on what they expected when this year’s results are announced. St Stephen’s Anglican Church Archdeacon Zweli Tom said both institutions had good reason to celebrate. Tom said they started helping the school after God challenged the church to stop being “inward looking”. Shortly after that, the two institutions started to interact. “I was invited to engage with pupils in their classrooms. I informed them of the importance of getting their priorities in order,” he said. “I have also been co-opted to the school SGB forum. From time to time, I have face-to-face talks with teachers.” He also arranged for successful business people to motivate pupils. “We also established that registration fees were a stumbling block for many of our children to get a tertiary education. It is our intention to grow the fund.”