A euphoric atmosphere surrounded Allen Glen High School on 5 January when the class of 2016 flocked to the school to collect their Matric results.
The stress was over for most of the learners as some were blown away by their hard-earned achievements. In small groups, the learners gathered together and shared their results with their friends and excited teachers.
This year the school was proud to have increased the pass rate and number of top achievers. The school produced at least five top learners in Matric, with overall distinctions ranging from five to six in different subjects.
One of the best in the grade, with six distinctions and scoring 95 per cent in Mathematics, Aveshen Govender, told Roodepoort Northsider that he was pleased with the results that he had obtained. “This is the best report that I ever obtained. I’m ecstatic because I quite never studied as hard as I usually do,” he said, adding that he has been accepted at Wits University to study Chemical Engineering.
Aaron Padiachy and Ashleigh Maistry, who also the made the school proud, explained their success stories. Padiachy, who still has to decide between two career choices, said prayer, following instructions and hard work were his key elements to success. “I want to become a doctor, so I have to study medicine or biomedical engineering,” he said. However, Padiachy has been accepted at Witwatersrand University to study electrical engineering. He was also accepted at the University of South Africa to study life sciences.
Maistry, who also holds six distinctions, including one in Afrikaans, said she endured many early mornings and late nights to be where she is today. She said she had to stay disciplined to avoid any distractions last year. “There is no substitute for studying hard. Every second that I put in paid off. It is very easy to be distracted when doing Matric but I had to be disciplined,” she said, analysing her Matric results with her mother, Yugeshini, who congratulated every Matriculant and thanked the school for its support to her daughter.
Another top achiever, Naadhirah Ebrahim (18), with five distinctions also favoured Wits University as her institution of choice to study accounting, while a charismatic Kalisa Ndamage opted to study abroad. Ndamage said he was conditionally accepted in three foreign universities including the University of Chicago. “I’ve been conditional accepted in the following universities; Yale, Columbia, Northwestern, and the University of Chicago to study chemical and molecular engineering,” he said.
He added that the decision to study abroad was to get the best possible education from the best institutions of higher learning in the world, but not escaping the pitfalls of #FeesMustFall movements, which are likely to occur this year.
The school obtained a three-and-a-half per cent pass rate increase compared to 2015. A chuffed Allen Glen principal, Dr Johan Wiehahn shared the analysis and gave credit to where it was due. “From 2015 to 2016, we increased our overall pass rate by three-and-a-half per cent. In 2015 the school obtained a 95.64 per cent pass rate. This year we are happy to announce the 99.06 per cent pass rate. Credit must be given to all teachers and learners for working hard,” he said.
Now that the school is aiming for a 100 per cent pass rate this year, Wiehahn said the learner, parent and teacher relationship was very vital in reaching this goal. “Our aim is to get everyone involved. If things are not right at these three levels, then our goal won’t go accordingly,” he explained.
Wiehahn also encouraged dissatisfied or failed learners to take advantage of available options to improve their results such as bridging courses and rewrite programmes.
