Three Nelson Mandela Bay born independent school pupils have shown their mettle by placing among the top 5% nationally.
And the country’s Independent Examination Board (IEB) matrics are leading the way once again, raising the overall pass rate for a fourth consecutive year and placing the pass percentage on the cusp of 99%.
While national senior certificate pupils remain anxious about the release of their results on Friday, IEB pupils are breathing a collective sigh of relief, having achieved an overall pass rate of 98.92%, it was announced on Wednesday.
The 2018 matric class of 11,514 full-time and 858 parttime IEB candidates from 249 examination centres across Southern Africa – including Mozambique, Swaziland and Namibia – increased the pass rate from 2017’s 98.76%.
That was an increase from 98.67% in 2016 and 98.3% in 2015 – which was slightly down from 2014 with 98.38%.
All candidates who passed achieved a pass good enough to enter tertiary study at one of the three levels.
Individual performance of pupils from the Eastern Cape, as recognised by a spot on the IEB’s outstanding and commendable lists, has remained at three pupils since 2017.
The commendable list – made up of 73 pupils nationally – comprises the top 5% of IEB matriculants in five subjects who also achieved 80% or more in life orientation.
The outstanding achievement list – comprising 61 pupils – represents the top 5% nationally across six subjects who have attained 80% or more for life orientation. St Andrew’s College pupil Daniel Erasmus, 18, and St Dominic’s Priory head girl Tanitah Deyzel, 18, were the only two from the Eastern Cape’s 581 candidates – representing 15 schools – who made the grade for the commendable list.
Daniel and Tanitah cracked eight distinctions each.
Diocesan School for Girls Dux scholar Nicola Ralston, 17, with seven distinctions, was the only pupil in the province on the outstanding achievement list.
While two of the pupils were schooled in Makhanda (Grahamstown) all three hail from the Bay.
Nicola, from Lovemore Heights, said she had received a call from her principal Shelley Frayne on Wednesday informing her about the achievement.
“I was in complete shock because as much as I know I put in the hours of hard work, there is always a feeling of doubt,” she said.
Nicola said she was excited to begin her studies at the University of Cape Town where she has been accepted to study for a BSc in actuarial sciences.
“I am very excited to experience the freedom that comes with university, and making new friends.
“I am so happy I pushed through the hard times, because it can become a lot for one person. So I now have something to look forward to.”
Tanitah, a Charlo resident, said she felt quite satisfied with her results and said she was looking forward to going to Stellenbosch University to study medicine.
“Knowing that all that hard work has not gone to waste is the best feeling. I have been at the school since pre-primary and the staff are among the biggest contributors to my success.
“We have such small classes, the teachers get to us personally, understanding our strengths and weaknesses and pushing us to achieve our full potential,” Tanitah said.
Daniel, from Parsons Hill, said he had forgotten about the results being released as he felt despondent about his exams.
“After the final exams I was not feeling very confident. I thought I could do so much better.
“And I didn’t really know how to feel after hearing I had done well because I sort of forgot about the results.
“But now that it’s all said and done I am very excited about my results and even more so when I think about starting my studies at the University of Cape Town where I will be studying actuarial sciences.”
IEB chief executive Anne Oberholzer said Umalusi had monitored all aspects of the 2018 examination process and had declared the results to be fair and valid.
She said the achievement of the NSC certificate through an IEB school signifies more than just passing an examination.
“Learners have again shown that with a commitment to hard work over their 12 years of schooling and supported by a dedicated cohort of teachers and parents, they have achieved the first major milestone in their learning careers,” Oberholzer said. She said there was also a clear realisation among IEB pupils, their parents and teachers that having the knowledge and understanding that lie behind the results is more important and meaningful for success after one’s schooling.
“When we talk about educating young people, it means so much more than ensuring the achievement of good results in the NSC examinations or developing flawless technical know-how.
“It means providing young people with the power to think for themselves, to come to well-thought-through opinions that can be defended as moral, rational and socially constructive,” she said.
Kingswood College headmistress Dr Colleen Vassiliou expressed great pride in the class of 2018.
“I would like to congratulate the class of 2018 for rising to the challenge and giving of their best in the final examinations. You can all be so proud,” Vassiliou said.
“As this journey ends, embrace the next chapter with confidence as you have what it takes to be a transforming influence in society.
“We also take the opportunity to acknowledge and thank staff and parents for their care, guidance and hard work in assisting our pupils to be the best they could be.”
Oberholzer said officials did not provide provincial pass rates for the reason that the number of schools writing IEB was vastly disproportionate from one province to another.