In an environment where gangs, violence and substance abuse affect schooling, pupils at a Kariega school saw a shift in mindset in 2023 with their matric pass rate more than doubling from the previous year.

This attitude towards school, coupled with the school having a full staff complement of teachers for the first time in years, along with the support from their community, saw McCarthy Comprehensive School increase its matric pass rate from 37% in 2022 to 77.6% in 2023...