KZN girls’ schools are top achievers

Girls’ schools can again boast producing most of the KwaZulu-Natal matrics to be featured on the Independent Examination Board’s national honours roll of outstanding achievers.

Durban Girls’ College, and St Mary’s Diocesan School for Girls in Kloof each have three matrics ranked in the top 5% of pupils in six or more subjects in the country.

Another three matrics from St Mary’s, and one more from Durban Girls’ College, are ranked in the top 5% of pupils in five subjects (the commendable achievement list).

The national pass rate for the IEB class of 2015 was announced yesterday as 98.30%.

Every IEB matric in the country who passed qualified to study towards a degree, diploma or higher certificate at university, with 85.26% of them having passed well enough to earn a Bachelor’s degree pass.

Of KZN’s 16 outstanding achievers, 11 are girls. KZN also produced 12 pupils featured on the commendable achievement list.

St Mary’s headmaster Jonathan Manley said the school’s matric girls had shown particular commitment to their work over the past three years.

“Their teachers and parents have been the support that they needed to be able to perform at the level that they have performed. The reason our girls do so well is due to their work ethic and the calibre of our teaching staff,” Manley said.

“As a school we are constantly looking to see how we can improve, and what research is telling us about achieving academic excellence. Without this dedication from our pupils and teachers, we would not have these outstanding results. We encourage them to believe in themselves and to accept the responsibility of being the agents of positive change in our country.”

Every one of the St Mary’s matrics earned a Bachelor’s degree pass, and the 85 girls who wrote matric achieved 296 distinctions between them.

Durban Girls’ College headmaster Thomas Hagspihl expressed his appreciation about the willingness of the school’s matric girls to put in the required hours.

“With the support, the excellent teaching and the concern for each individual by their amazing teachers, these girls really did us proud.”

He said he was excited that all 84 of the matrics earned a Bachelor’s degree pass.

“For me, the most astounding result is that 90% of all the symbols the girls achieved were As, Bs or Cs.”

Maris Stella School and Ashton International College in Ballito each have two pupils who made it on to the outstanding achievers list. A Maris Stella pupil was also featured on the commendable achievements list. The KZN schools that have one pupil each ranking among the outstanding achievers are Domino Servite School, Felixton College, Hilton College, Kearsney College, Our Lady of Fatima Convent School, and Clifton College.

Kearsney College also had two pupils earn places among the top 5% of pupils in five or more subjects.

Anne Oberholzer, chief executive of the IEB, said matriculating signified more than just passing an exam.

“When we talk about educating young people, it means so much more than ensuring the achievement of good results in the National Senior Certificate 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. In the context of South Africa, in all that we have achieved and in the many challenges ahead and disparities that still exist in our country, this cannot be emphasised enough for our young people,” Oberholzer said.

The Mercury

• IEB matric results out after midnight

• IEB achieves 98.30% pass