The 40th matric class to sit matric final examinations at Port Alfred High School achieved 40 Bachelor’s degree passes.
Of the 61 candidates to write matric, 58 passed.
The school said the pass rate for 2021 of 95.1% is an improvement on the 2020 figure of 94.91%. This puts Port Alfred High in the number two spot, behind Kuyasa Combined School, as Ndlambe’s best performing school.
When measured against the Grahamstown schools, Port Alfred High is in fourth place with Victoria Girls High taking first place (100%) followed by Graeme College (96.61%) and Kuyasa (95.2%).
The PAHS matric class of 2021 achieved 39 distinctions across 15 subjects, with 40 candidates eligible for university in 2022. Fourteen distinctions in Afrikaans first additional language and ten distinctions in life orientation were awarded. Six distinctions in mathematical literacy is noteworthy.
Head girl Carissa le Roux is the school’s 2021 Dux pupil with an 84.2% aggregate. She secured As in Afrikaans, life orientation, consumer studies, geography and mathematics. Oneza Mkangisa, also achieved five distinctions and secured an 82.1% aggregate.
“The Class of 2021 have triumphed remarkably in light of the fact that this class missed several formal exams due to the pandemic. This class has demonstrated the full meaning of our motto ‘deeds not words’, said headmaster Nigel Adams.
He said that the challenge now lies with the matric Class of 2022 to achieve a 100% pass rate.
Head of academics Eleanor Taai extended a special word of encouragement to those who fell short of their goals, saying that every opportunity to achieve matric must be explored.
She reminded the class of their mantra “Be strong and courageous”.
