Matric pass rates improve with Sibaya’s Matric Academic Development Initiative

The Sibaya Community Trust celebrated the culmination of the three year-long Matric Academic Development Initiative (MADI) with the final academic awards evening at Sibaya Casino & Entertainment Kingdom on 15 March 2019. Over the past three years, Sibaya Community Trust has committed over R10-million towards MADI to matric pass rates at the worst performing schools within the iLembe District, KwaDukuza and Ndwedwe.

MADI helped fund Saturday school, Educators’ training; upgraded infrastructure, and provided supplementary nutrition, learning resources, and transport for learners and external educators.

The majority (60%) of the schools have been moved out of the “danger zone”, where matric pass rates were under 30%. The Best Performing School in 2018, Phuzulwazi Secondary School, achieved a matric pass rate of 72.2%, up from 27.8% in 2015, before the MADI programme.

Vivian Reddy, Chairman of Sibaya and the Sibaya Community Trust, has dubbed MADI a success:

“When MADI was launched three years ago, the objective was clear; to take the worst performing schools, move them out of the ‘danger zone’ and see more matrics passing their final year of school. At the time, the iLembe District Department of Education was one of three worst performing districts in the province in the 2015 matric exams. In the three years, we’ve seen pass rates in this district improve by almost 20%.”

Education is one of Sibaya’s key corporate social investment focus areas. Since its inception, The Sibaya Community Trust has invested over R40-million towards education initiatives in iLembe.

“We believe that education is one of the most important weapons for fighting poverty and unemployment which is why the Sibaya Community Trust focuses most of its social investment projects to improve education in our province. Education is inextricably linked to economic growth because our young learners today are the future pipeline of crucial skills for both business and government,” says Reddy.

At the awards function, the top matriculants in the subjects of Mathematics, Life Science, Physical Science and Accounting in 2018 were acknowledged. They are Muziwenkosi Bhengu from Ubuhlebesizwe (Maths); Lindokuhle Jali from Ubuhlebesizwe (Accounting); Sakhile Majola from Inkosi Albert Luthuli (Physical Science), and Nomthandazo Nene from Inkosi Albert Luthuli (Life Science). The Dux Award was presented to Andile Bhengu from Ubuhlebesizwe for achieving the highest marks in all three subjects that he did through MADI, with an impressive average of 79%. The Most Improved Learner Award was presented to Shangase Nomfundo from Mzingezwi for dramatic improvements in Life Science and Maths Literacy. The Most Improved Teacher Award went to Miss N.N. Luthuli from Phuzulwazi for her learners achieving the biggest percentage improvement in Accounting, from 35% in June to 85.7% in December 2018.

“We commend the learners for committing themselves to the programme and thank the principals of the schools, the teachers and tutors who embraced MADI and worked so hard to make the programme a success,” Reddy concludes.