Durban - Four pupils at Mandlezizwe High School near Bulwer are showing true grit in their determination to pass their matric exams with flying colours.
For the past three months, Sisekelo Hlatshwayo, 18, Zethembe Zondi, 17, Sphesihle Miya, 19, and Bongukwanda Dlamini, 17, have been living in the school’s storeroom as they prepare for their exams, to avoid a long trek back to their homes each day.
Their living quarters are littered with exercise books and sports equipment. It’s only the two made-up beds without bases on the floor that give the impression someone is sleeping there.
Besides the beds, the storeroom - which is located between classrooms - looks functional, with a few school items including black shoe polish containers.
Their hard work and determination is bearing fruit, they say, and their assessment scripts back this up as their performance is averaging between 60% and 80% or more.
The school, which looks impoverished, has 401 pupils.
Last year it recorded a pass rate of more than 75%, and is pinning its hopes of a seat at the table of high achievers.
Zondi said they had asked for permission to live at the school because they wanted to maximise their chances in the exams, which start tomorrow.
“We walk to school for at least 45 minutes because we live far, so that was taking a toll on us and our school work.
“Since the beginning of this year, we start our classes at 7am, so it was becoming exhausting. Our school work started to suffer. The marks we scored in March are very different from the marks in the third term,” said Zondi.
He said following a drop in March, his performance had improved significantly in the third term and he had scored four distinctions, a base target he had set for his final exams.
He said their parents were supportive, as they knew they were studying and safe.
Zondi recently attended an Education Department camp in Bergville where he learnt new things he planned to pass on to his fellow students.
Dlamini said he had scored two distinctions, but there had also been a general improvement in all his other subjects.
Miya said after their school day ended, at 3pm, they would cook the food they would be eating that evening. At 6pm they attended evening classes until 8pm and from 8 they studied until midnight.
“In-between we host study groups, we study and assist other pupils,” Zondi said.
School principal Qaphela Khowane said: “It started with just two, and two others saw that there was work being done there and they also asked for permission to live here.
“They identified the storeroom themselves. They wanted to stay there because they were not getting enough time to do their school work.
“We want to do well as a school in these coming exams, and the teachers are confident that some of our high marks will come from these boys.”
Zondi scored more than 60% in maths to qualify to be part of the government camp.
Khowane says the pupils are highly motivated.
“The teachers motivate them and our municipalities offer bursaries to high achievers, so that is also an incentive to work hard and get opportunities. We always tell our pupils to work hard so they can improve their situation at home.”
KZN Department of Education spokesman Muzi Mahlambi said they were encouraged by the pupils.
“They are working hard and have taken it upon themselves to be agents of change in their lives and their family lives, and we applaud that.”
He said although they did not encourage living at schools, they understood that children came from different homes and faced different challenges.
“To know that young people have taken this upon themselves and they have made such a great sacrifice is most encouraging.”
The Mercury