Dundee - The Umzinyathi district municipality has hailed the circuit for defying the odds and improving its matric results under trying conditions.
The Umzinyathi education circuit was hailed for the improved results that saw it achieving a 79.8 % pass rate from 71.7% the previous year.
This is despite having challenges like overflowing rivers preventing learners from accessing schools.
PHOTOS: UMzinyathi district municipality today celebrated the huge achievement by schools under its circuit during an event held in Dundee. The Umzinyathi circuit was hailed for the improved results that saw it achieving a 79.8 % pass rate - from 71.7% from previous year. @IOL pic.twitter.com/hSxUzfJ9xl
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) March 23, 2023
Macingwane High School from Umsinga in the northwestern part of KwaZulu-Natal was applauded for achieving a pass rate of 100% even though it is based in a rural area.
Speaking at the ceremony to celebrate the achievement and cap the best-performing learners in the matric class of 2022, the district mayor, Petros Ngubane, said they were heeding the call that education is everybody’s business, including municipalities.
“We cannot afford not to applaud all the stakeholders like teachers and parents who have made this possible.
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“Our special accolade goes to Macingwane High School in the Machuninwi area in Umsinga under Inkosi Mchunu which has put us on the national map.
“We also applaud all the schools that have excelled and all the learners that have performed exceptionally well,” Ngubane said.
He added that what made the achievement sweeter was that the Umzinyathi circuit is surrounded by well-off areas like those along the coastline and it is poor.
“Our kids only go to school just expecting minimum education, unlike their peers in other areas.
“These results give us hope that one day, through good academic results, we will lay the foundation to develop our district since education is a weapon that can be used to improve one’s situation,” Ngubane added.
Siphiwe Kheswa, the district director (Umzinyathi circuit) said the 8% “is a very big improvement” for them.
“Although we are already sitting at almost 80%, we are not resting on our laurels because we have been given another task to improve to obtain 90% for the class of 2023.
“We have identified all the gaps that we are having as the district and we have gone out to get the help we need,” Kheswa said.
The five best performing learners were given cash prizes of R5000.
Also awarded were best performing teachers and schools.
The two learners who excelled in maths and science were given prizes of R10 000.
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