While the national top achievers were recognised with the release of the results on 20 January, the cream of the crop among the matriculants of 2022 in the Ditsobotla sub-district were finally celebrated yesterday at the prestigious Ditsobotla stars of 2022 well done function held at Hoërskool Lichtenburg.
The matriculants of 2022 are special in the sense that they managed to obtain a pass rate of 80,1%, despite never having written a formal test in 2020 when they were in grade 10, as well as no formal exam in 2021 when they were in grade 11.
Annual event for top performers
Hosted by the North West Department of Education, NWK is a proud sponsor of this annual event and donated 21 laptops, valued at almost R230 000, to the top performing matriculants of the 21 top performing schools in the Ditsobotla sub-district.
NWK has been sponsoring the laptops for this event since 2013/2014. In total, 187 laptops, valued at more than R1,7 million have been donated.
Benedict Modise, director of Economic Development at NWK, congratulated the matriculants on their achievements and acknowledged the challenges they had to endure in order to complete their secondary education, including a world-wide pandemic and consequent lockdown, as well as load shedding.
‘Let’s also not forget the dissolution of the municipal council, a lack of water and bad roads. Sometimes, you have to get knocked down, lower than you have ever been, to stand back up taller than you ever were,’ he said.
He described the handover of the laptops, which are also furnished with the latest software, as the fulfilment of one of NWK’s core values – co-responsibility in the workplace and community. ‘We at NWK are really pleased with what you have accomplished and are looking forward to seeing you take on even tougher challenges in the future.’
Benedict reminded them that NWK offers sustainable career opportunities for qualified candidates and encouraged them to visit the company’s social media platforms for possible vacancies. ‘Don’t forget about us! It would be fantastic to have our very own, working for a company that supported your vision while you were still in school.’
Ikateleng Project
Some of these matriculants were the “products” of the Ikateleng Project, an educational initiative run by the North-West University (NWU) and sponsored by NWK.
The project has been running for 33 years now and has given students the edge to not only pass matric with distinction, but to excel in their tertiary studies and pursue ambitious and successful careers.
The Ikateleng project was initiated at the Vaal Triangle Campus of the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (now called NWU) in 1998. It is now one of the most comprehensive supplementary instruction programmes for grade 12 pupils in the country and offers classes in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Accounting, Economics and English.
Matrics have their say
- Neontle Menoe of Bethel High School obtained distinctions in Afrikaans and Accounting. She will be studying Science at Wits University this year and hopes to work in a medical field one day. She said that Ikateleng helped her, especially in Physical Sciences, in the sense that she got information on the subject from various sources, which helped her understand the subject better in the end.
- Keamogetswe Pelele of JM Lekgetha Commercial School, got distinctions in Business Studies, Tswana and Life Orientation. She will be embarking on a B.Com. degree, specialising in Human Resources at the University of Johannesburg. UJ. She was ecstatic on receiving a laptop. “I can’t believe it! It was not easy. I am very happy. I’m proud of myself for working hard and not giving up. This will help me tremendously in my studies.”
* Absent: Kamogelo Madabulela (FM Ramaboea Technical School), Mphela Melelwe (Kopanelo Combined School), Bonolo Matebele (Gaetsho High School) and Julia Bloem (Hoërskool Lichtenburg).
