The eThekwini Municipality held a matric awards ceremony at the prestigious Suncoast Casino, Durban today. The aim of this ceremony was to reward the top ten students from the eThekwini District and the top ten from disadvantaged schools that lack the necessary resources required to perform adequately.
The other driver of this initiative was to inspire other schools and pupils in the same situation that they too can be paraded on the podium of success.His Worship, the Mayor of eThekwini, Councillor James Nxumalo in his keynote address emphasised that education without morals is a dangerous weapon considering our history of Apartheid where atrocities were perpetrated by highly educated men and women.
He also stressed that everyone in the community has a responsibility to ensure that schools are centres of learning and excellence. The Municipality has also played its part by providing learners ship programmes for both students and graduates.Mr M.J.B Mthembu General Manager of Examinations at the Department of Education has reiterated that it is sponsorships like these that have seen an increase in the pass rate in mathematics and sciences and will go a long way in addressing the critical skills shortage in the country.
There were a range of rewards that included bursaries of R10 000 for the top ten students of the eThekwini District and the top ten from the disadvantaged schools. Prizes were also given for schools that obtained a 100% pass rate and those that improved by 20% or more from the disadvantaged schools. The highlight of the day though was Skhwama High that walked away with R50 000 for the most improved school with an improvement of 66%.
This event was sponsored by Nedbank in conjunction GEM school wear and their roles in the education of our future leaders and it was highly appreciated by everyone involved.