SHAWCO helps matrics make up for lost time

Thulani Magazi

In a bid to improve the end of the year matric results, five high schools from Khayelitsha are conducting a week-ling winter school – and the move has received high praise from learners after almost a month of no schooling.

More than 300 matric students from Thembelihle, Manyano, Sizimisele, Siphamandla and Iqhayiya took part in the classes during the first two days and the numbers were expected to swell significantly by the end of the week.

The classes are provided by academics and students from the University of Cape Town through Students Health and Welfare Centres Organisation (SHAWCO), with special emphasis on Mathematics, Physical Science, Accounting, Geography and English.

This came about after principals approached the organisation from all the involved schools.

Thembelihle High School principal Bongani Mfikili said the decision to embark on a winter school had nothing to do with the teachers’ strike. He said concerned principals took the decision to improve matric results at their respective schools, long before the industrial action.

Mr Mfikili said the programme was a continuation of last year’s initiative which saw Iqhayiya Senior Secondary achieving a pass rate of 94.4%, more than double their 2005 pass rate of 39.6%.

He said they wanted to involve many schools in the programme, but that could not happen as certain schools had big egos. “So the focus is now only on these five schools, as a result we have turned away a number of students who do not belong to any of the participating schools,” he said.

Mr Mfikili regarded the winter classes as a huge bonus. “Since we started with this we have managed to maintain consistency in our matric results,” said Mr Mfikili.

Jonathan Hoffenberg from UCT’s Shawco centre said although they normally ran a number of educational programmes in the townships, assisting matriculants was a big challenge. He said since they began helping township students, the focus had mainly been on Grade R to Grade 11 learners. However, he said there was a “greater need than ever” to assist schools that were seriously affected by the strike.

Close to 50 volunteers are tutoring learners five hours a day and the programme could again be run in September, depending on its success.

Mr Hoffenberg said learners from township schools worked under very difficult circumstances and called on other tertiary institutions to get onboard.

“It is a one week pilot project but if it works, we will embark on it again in September. We will also ask other institutions to do something,” added Mr Hoffenberg.

Sizimisele learner Mhlangabezi Nogwanya hailed the first two days of their winter classes. He said considering all the time lost during the four-week long industrial action such sessions would be essential for all the matriculants. “Everything is different. It is also easy to understand, maybe it’s because we are dealing with different people, the classes have been fantastic.”

Manyano learner Sinethemba Bali said she could not afford to miss out the winter classes. “I badly want to improve my matric results and this is the best opportunity to make up for all the lost time,” she said. “This is going to make a huge difference.”

Vukani – Thursday, July 5, 2007