In stark contrast to bygone matric results announcement days hallmarked by heady, champagne-swigging school-leavers – subdued and brief gatherings of matriculants, parents and teachers were the order of the day across Port Elizabeth’s northern areas schools on Friday.
Held back by delays in the release of official, individual subject results at a number of schools, small groups of school-leavers milled around at several schools as they awaited their former teachers and principals who were tasked with delivering the results to their schools.
A sombre atmosphere dominated at Booysen Park Secondary School where anxious former pupils and parents of pupils “too afraid” to queue up for their results waited for more than an hour for principal Ivan Martins, along with the results for the total of 111 pupils who sat their final exams there.
Around 20 former grade 12 pupils crammed into a school room to hear that their institution, while fielding improvements in the quality of passes, had also emerged as one of worst-performing schools in the northern areas with an overall pass rate of just 35.8%.
Siyamamakele Mjexane was named as that institution’s top achiever for 2018.
Conversely, an upbeat Adam January – who heads Westville Secondary School – on Friday poured praise on his teaching staff, parents and the relationships the school has nurtured with parents after recording an 88.7% overall pass rate.
“We are exceptionally pleased with the result, particularly considering the social challenges and impoverished community in the area.”
Among the successful matriculants were best friends and former Sanctor High School pupils Euodia Smith and Vivica Twecu, both 18.
Smith, who plans to work in the US as an au pair, said she was delighted at passing and the opportunity to move on with her life.
Twecu, who plans to study law at the University of the Free State, said: “It is bittersweet for me. I am super pleased to have passed, but I am going to miss school and particularly my friends.”