Grade 12 learners who attended winter classes were happy to be visited by Debbie Schäfer, MEC for Education who came to encourage them to push hard on studies, on Thursday, at Isilimela Secondary School, Langa.
The Grade 12 Winter Schools Holiday Programme is attended by about 1000 learners from seven high schools, some of which are coming from Gugulethu.
The schools are Fezeka Secondary School, ID Mkize Senior Secondary, Ikamvalethu Secondary School, Intshukumo Secondary School, Isilimela Secondary Schools, Kulani Secondary School and Langa Secondary School.
Schäfer said she visited the school to check if everything is running smooth during the classes.
“I am here to give them encouragement and to ensure that the programme is safe for them. I ensure that I resolve every problem that I come across. Last year we got 84.8 percent for matric pass which was the highest in the country. We want to improve even more on that and ensure that we do not drop the standard,” she said.
She said the classes will help the learners as they are fast approaching the final National Senior Certificate (NSC) which is about five months away.
Zwelibanzi Sijula, the principal at Isilimela, said the programme will surely go a long way in helping the learners.
“It is an opportunity for them to catch-up on things that they did not understand in class, because they are also given an opportunity to discus among themselves,” Sijula said.
The school, which is a Dinaledi School, got 80 percent in last year’s matric class and they are targeting 85 percent for this year.
Most of their learners attend their winter holiday classes at Belgravia High School, in Athlone.
Thamsanqa Nyawuza, at Grade 12 learner from Isilimela High School, said they aiming at improving the last year’s marks.
“We as learners are targeting to increase the last years pass mark and we are determined to achieve that with the help that we are getting. Some of us cannot study at homes because it is noise and some of us stay next to shebeens,” Nyawuza said.
