On Friday, 26 February 2021, the Dr. Ruth S. Mompati District (Dr. RSM) Department of Education held a “Well Done Function” for 2020’s Grade 12 Top Achievers in the District. The event, held in Vryburg, was one full of cheers and appreciation for schools and learners who, amidst the rise of the novel Coronavirus pandemic, prepared and sat for the November National Senior Certificate (NSC) Examination. In attendance were the Top 10 achieving candidates in the district, the Dr. RSM District Director (DD) in Education, Mojakhumo Dithejane, the Dr. RSM (outgoing) Executive Mayor, Boitumelo Mahlangu, Examinations and Assessment Director in the Dr. RSM District, Jacobus Brand, Circuit Managers and other officials in the district. DD Dithejane coined the 2020 NSC Examinations to being “the most difficult year in the history of the school calendar, nationally and globally.”

The reality of this statement by the Director is attested to the outbreak of the unprecedented COVID-19 Pandemic, disruptions it brought as well as the readjustments that had to be done in academic year 2020. “At some point we thought that we were going to lose the academic year” said DD Dithejane. At the heart of the District Department’s strain and Anxiety was the given remoteness of the district and lack of Information Technology resources at their disposal. This has been said to have created uncertainties from parents, strategic partners and politically, leading to the examinations. According to the Director, the districts strength is in the classroom and through monitoring support and systems to schools, therefore, the academic year 2020 required courageous and decisive leadership.

This examination season, the district also obtained bragging rights over one district, this is as the Dr. RSM Education Department, for the first time in a while, advanced to 3rd Position in terms of performance in the Province. The District obtain a 71,21% pass rate. In perspective, 5415 in 82 schools sat for this particular examination in the district and a total of 3856 of them managed to pass them. This pass rate is slightly below the Provincial of 76.19%, which for the first time placed the North West Province below 4th Position in South Africa as far as examination performance is concern, now at 5th.

Huhudi High School, in the Kagisano-Molopo Sub District, with 99 candidates that sat for the 2020 examination, achieved a 100% pass rate. The school claimed a top spot in the Quintile 2 Category of Schools that obtained the best pass rate, followed by Moses Kotane and Ramotshere Moiloa Sub Districts Schools respectively. Kagisano-Molopo’s Huhudi being the only school in its category to achieve 100%.

Be that as it may, it must also be said that the school clearly has the potential to better as far as the quality of their pass rate is concern. The Vryburg Independent Post (The VIP) Team has learned that out of the 12 subjects that candidates at this school wrote, they managed to obtain distinctions in the following subjects (excluding Life Orientation):

• English First Additional Language (8)

• History (1)

In striking contrast, however, Greater Taung Sub District’s Pinagare High School, did pretty well with regards to the achievements of distinctions per subject. According to statistics provided by the North West Provincial Department of Edication, the school obtained distinctions in 12 of of the 13 subjects offered to their grade 12 examination candidates. Excluding Life Orientation, the school obtained a total of 72 distinctions, 11 of which are in the 90-100% category.

Pinagare High School is also the home to one of the Top, provincially recognized, learners of the academic year 2020. Karabo Goitsione Rantwane represented the Dr. RSM District by attaining 3rd position, as the best learner in the North West Province, amongst the quintile 3 category of schools. They young lad obtain 5 distinctions in subjects including, Afrikaans Second Additional Language, English First Additional Language, Setswana Home Language, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences. Rantwane was honored with a standing ovation and a pro longed round of applause as he walked towards the stage to collect his trophy and certificate, at the Matric 2020 “well done function” held in Vryburg. He was acknowledged as the best performing candidates for the November 2020 NSC Examination in the district. “I have always hard to ensure that I get good results. I had teachers who instilled good work ethics in me.” Said Rantwane.

Another Learner that made the Dr. RSM District proud provincially, was Bea van der Linden from Stella High School in the Naledi Sub District. Van der Linder was amongst the Top performing learners in subjects, for her achievement of 96% in Accounting. Bea plans to study medicine at the University of the Free State and is optimistic about having a positive impact on the people and the world around her.

Even though the Province’s pass percentage rate has gone done by more than 10% as compared to 2019, it is heartwarming to know that one can still find some form of silver lining in the mist of all the challenges that came with academic year 2020. The VIP Team would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the class of 2020 in the Dr. RSM District and the province at large for their achievements.

-The VIP Team

-NW Education

-RSM Education

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