The Inanda Newtown Comprehensive Secondary School, a school located a stone’s throw from the Gandhi Settlement, achieved a huge turn around in its matric results. From being in the lower end of percentage passes in 2016 the startling results for 2017 had the school bowled over. The School had set for itself a target of 75%, but hard work and a successful turn around strategy paid off handsomely when the educators, learners and everyone associated with the school, learnt that it had attained a whooping 90.55% pass.
In a school with 1500 learners, over 200 pupils sat for the matric examinations in 2017. Over the past years the school was faced with many hardships. As a result poor results became a pattern. Above all else a huge challenge was with achieving pass rates in mathematics and physical science.
Last year the school made a fervent appeal to the Department of Education for the provision of well experienced educators in these two subjects. In addition the school formed partnerships with neighbouring schools with similar problems such as Inhlanhlayethu Secondary and Ohlange Institute and the three schools held weekend camps. In these camps, special focus was placed on teaching and learning maths and Physical Science.
In addition to these camps, learners were regularly taken to Ster Kinekor Gateway, In Umhlanga for further maths and physical science classes.
The School Principal, Mr Chauke, congratulated his learners, educators and went on to express gratitude to parents who happily allowed their children to take part in the weekend maths and physical science classes. Chauke also thanked the Department of Education for giving his school unconditional support.
“ I’m happy for my learners and educators who worked tirelessly to ensure we got such good results. These results serve as proof that, there are no short cuts in education and indeed hard work pays. I must also thank the parents of these learners because without their blessings, the extra classes and weekend camps we held with our neighbouring schools were not going to be a possibility,”
Chauke thanked Dr Msizi Mkhize from the University of KwaZulu Natal. According to Chauke, Mkhize played a significant role in helping the school achieve such excellent results.
Mkhize was a frequent visitor to the school with the purpose to encourage learners to take mathematics and physical science seriously. He mentored learners in these subjects and informed them of various career opportunities that would be open to them if they passed mathematics and physical science.
For the class of 2018, Chauke said the school aimed to implement the same interventions that saw the class of 2017 exceed their expectations. He called on parents, community members, individuals and neighbouring schools to work together and to ensure that the future of Inanda learners is bright.
Obviously this turn around could only take place because educators learners and significant others were all prepared to walk the extra mile, to give voluntary time and effort without which none of this could have been possible. We also thank the Principal for his role in facilitating the process. His leadership in pushing for change was undoubtedly instrumental in this achievement.
This is indeed a success story worth telling and worth emulating.