AmaXhosa royal house of Sigcawu was joined by education management and teachers’ unions in celebrating the achievements of Xolilizwe Senior Secondary School in Nqadu Great Place near Willowvale.
The school, named after King Xolilizwe Sigcawu who ruled amaXhosa for 40 years before dying in 2005, made a remarkable turnaround after getting a 25% pass rate in 2018, making it one of the worst in the country.
In 2023, it attained 86.8% with 75% bachelors’ passes to become one of the best-performing schools in the country.
Despite being a rural school with few resources, the school has produced some of the country’s top matric performers.
“In 2019, [the school] really changed for the better. The new principal, Sizo Butshinga was a game changer,” the education department’s Thembani Mtyida, said.
He said the school had shown constant growth.
Butshungi is now Ngcobo’s Nyanga High School principal.
AmaXhosa Royal Family Council chair Nkosikazi Nobakhe Sigcawu said the kingdom was happy.
“Butshingi in 2019 promised us 75% but achieved 81%,” she said.
Mtyida was optimistic the school would achieve a 100% pass.
The department donated 15 laptops to the school.
Principal Andile Bam said: “We have an acute shortage of infrastructure, resources including teaching facilities and equipment.
“We have no laboratories and a shortage of classrooms. In our five grade 10 classes, the 10A class has 114 learners.”
“We were aiming for 100% — all with bachelor’ passes. We will achieve that target this year.”
The school also faces a water shortage.
“We spend around R35,000 a month for water for the school. The roof of the school is asbestos, and we cannot harvest the water. The taps have run dry for many years.”
The school achieved 100% in eight subjects — business studies, economics, mathematical literacy, English, history, isiXhosa, life orientation and tourism and attained 97.9% in agricultural sciences, 94.5% in life sciences, 91.7% in accounting, 91.1% in maths and 89.4% in physical sciences. It had 246 bachelor passes.
From a 25% pass rate in 2018 it rose to 81%-89% between 2019 and 2022 and achieved 96.8% in 2023.
DispatchLIVE
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