KNYSNA NEWS - Knysna Secondary school, Concordia High School, Percy Mdala High School and Plettenberg Bay Secondary School improved on their 2023 matric pass rates in 2024.

Sydney Jantjies, the principal of Knysna Secondary School, in Hornlee, said the class of 2024 achieved a pass rate of 86.2%, an improvement of 23% from 2023.

"We are very, very pleased with our results, and we are proud of our students, because we were an under-performing school," Jantjies said.

'Mentor system'

"The (2024) learners worked hard, and we introduced a mentor system, where we allocate three or four learners to a particular teacher, to see where the learners need support, to motivate them all the time. That paid off."

The school's top matric achiever in 2024 is Shinica Jacobs, followed by Zaydon Kampher and Akhona Ngcitha.

Shinica Jacobs, the top learner at Knysna Secondary School

'Learners were focused'

Zamubuntu Blaai, the principal of Concordia High School, in Concordia, Knysna, said the school's class of 2024 registered a pass rate of 89.1%, up by 8.6% from 2023.

"I'd like to thank the parents and teachers for their support, and the learners were focused. The teachers worked in the afternoons, and on Saturdays," Blaai said.

'Quality of passes'

"What I like most is the quality of the passes. Sixty-two out of 128 learners got Bachelor passes, 42 achieved Diploma passes, and 10 got Higher Certificate passes."

Juan Jullies, the principal of Plettenberg Bay Secondary School, said the school's 2024 matric pass rate was 90.6%, 16.1% better than in 2023.

"For me it is an outstanding achievement because last year in September (preparatory exams) we had a terrible result, a 65% pass rate," Jullies said.

"Then we started to work together, to motivate the parents, and the teachers, and the matrics, and we asked them (matrics) if they're satisfied with 65%, and they promised us they would improve the result.

'Showed commitment'

"When they started to prepare for the finals, we could see they showed commitment - the matrics."

Percy Mdala High School achiever Mihlali Songwiqi

Achiever Sinesipho Ralushe of Percy Mdala High School

Nozuko Tshaka, the principal of Percy Mdala High School, in Khayalethu, Knysna, said the school's 2024 matric pass rate was 92.5%, and was 84.3% in 2023.

Class of 2024 learner Thabiso Makhaye received 91% for life sciences, 87% for geography, and 85% for maths. Mihlali Songwiqi received 87% for life sciences, 86% for Xhosa HL (home language), and 84% for English FAL (first additional language), and Sinesipho Ralushe received 82% for English FAL, 80% for Xhosa HL, and 80% for life sciences.

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