On Thursday 3 January the grade 12 results were released by the Western Cape Education Department and Makhaza achieved an 82% pass rate, up from 55% in 2011. This was testament to the hard work done by the learners and the tutors at the branch.
10 of the learners achieved Bachelor passes with 1 level 7 (83%) pass in Economics, 2 level 6 (71%) passes in Mathematics, 1 level 6 (71%) pass in Mathematical Literacy, 1 level 6 (76%) pass in Life Sciences and 1 level 6 (74%) pass in Accounting. 8 learners achieved Diploma passes and 5 learners Higher Certificate passes. The 5 learners that did not pass the exams all qualified for supplementary exams and we hope that Makhaza will have a 100% pass come the end of the supplementary exams.
Yibanathi Phaphu, one of the top achievers said that he still couldn’t believe that he passed so well and that he is waiting for the feeling to sink in. He also said that he is looking forward to starting university where he will be doing a B. Comm degree, as he would like to be a Chartered Accountant, at the University of the Western Cape and didn’t expect to get Bs but that he just worked very hard. Sisabelo Pama another top achiever was really excited and couldn’t stop smiling and indicated that she will be pursuing a qualification in Electrical Engineering at Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Nomasomi Gugushe scored 83% for Economics and is planning to study construction management at CPUT. She said “I believe without IkamvaYouth I wouldn’t have passed my grade 12 like I did”.
The day was also marked by a bit of sadness, as we would have loved to see all the matriculants pass first time around, but mostly with joy as learners, parents, staff and tutors all celebrated the successes. The results also bear testament of what the learners are capable of when they really want to do something. In 2011 Makhaza had a lot of difficulties, with the office being petrol-bombed during service delivery protests and the teacher strikes that interupted the school year, but the matriculants of 2012 built on these difficulties and showed that they can achieve and do well even in the face of adversity.
The 1st of December marked world AIDS day, but it was also a day where we honoured our achievers for the hard work they have done during the year. The prize giving was well attended by learners, their families, partners and supporters and IY staff and they bore witness to the great work and sacrifice the learners made and how these sacrifices were converted into achievement. Most of the prizes that were given out were for academic achievement, but we also had prizes for attendance, learners need to be present 75% of the year, and in Makhaza more than 50% of our Ikamvanites had an average attendance of over 90%. This is a great feat as we have tutoring 5 days a week and this dedication just shows how special this programme is to the learners.
Other certificates included the most improved learner per grade, outstanding leadership, learner of the year voted by learners as well as tutors and the most committed learner per grade. 11 learners walked away with computers donated by Capitec, 18 learners received a prize of a day trip with Carl Palmer and others received stationary packs. Our tutors also received certificates and were thanked for their efforts and the time they spent tutoring. The Khan Academy and Marion Walton from UCT also handed out certificates and prizes for the projects they ran during the year.
We would like to thank all our partners and supporters, especially Capitec, Numeric, The University of Cape Town, Sinakho high school, Education Without Borders, Carl Palmer, Marion Walton, Andrew Einhorn, Ikapadata , Reel Lives, the Nazeema Isaacs library and staff.
Education Without Borders (EwB), a Canadian based organisation, aims to provide improved educational opportunities and facilities in disadvantaged regions of the world and highlights the simplicity of mathematics and emphasises the critical importance of foundational skills while acknowledging the complicated challenges and circumstances of life, which many of IkamvaYouth learners are coping with. EwB focuses on our Grade 8s as the program helps lower grade learners understand basic maths principles. The program was facilitated by Nicolas Mei and he has been with the learners since its inception in 2011. Below we share some of the results we have achieved this year.
1.Quantitative Impact of the EWB Program
20 learners started the EwB program at the beginning of 2012 in total, 2 were excluded because of poor attendance, 2 dropped out and the 16 is still doing well in the program. All the learners come from different schools across Khayelitsha.
2. Class Assessments
We have held 4 internal assessment tests, with one written each term based on the four books covered, including a revision test at the end of the year
The assessment tests results are shown below:
Average Book 1 & Book 2 vs. Term 1 & 2 Test Results Statistics
Figure 1: EWB learner term 1 & 2 math results and school grade aggregate result comparison.
Figure 1 shows some great results in learners school reports, gained after they have achieved good results in the internal test for the term after the completion of Book 1&2, which provided training for their June exams. For the majority of the class their tests scores covered by the books were significantly higher than the school results.
3. Book 3 vs. Term 3 Test Results Statistics
Figure 2: EWB learner term 3 math result and school grade aggregate result comparison.
Figure 2 shows some momentum by the EwB learners in their school results, gained after they achieved good results in the internal test for the term after completing Book 3. By this point the books are catching up with the work they are dealing with in class and the results show a significant increase not only in mathematics but in all other subjects as their confidence grows.
4. Outstanding Learners
The learners who have participated throughout the year and attended regularly showed the greatest improvement and delivered results not only in math, but also in other academic areas. In some cases where we saw huge imprvements in math results or term averages, the learners were visibly more confident and focused on achieving an understanding of the subject. Learners that stood out even more were those that did not only have major leaps in their math results, but who also provided their peers with the necessary help to achieve.
These learners are wonderful examples of the excellence of the class and their results for the three terms are highlighted below.
|
|
Term 1
|
Term 2
|
Term 3
|
Term 4
|
|
Learner 1
|
62%
|
74%
|
87%
|
82%
|
|
Learner 2
|
64%
|
61%
|
70%
|
77%
|
|
Learner 3
|
75%
|
64%
|
77%
|
98%
|
Table 2: EWB outstanding learners throughout the year.
These learners didn’t only achieve academically, they also received Ikamva Youth Best Attendance, Most Committed and Top Learner for achieving 95%+ attendance, for showing leadership and commitment in class.
Looking at the grade 9s of 2012, that took part in the program, most of the learners scored 70% and above and 8 learners scroring a level 80% and above in the final exams. This shows the great impact and the good foundation that the program provides the learners. This is also very good for IkamvaYouth and our mission of getting more black learners into tertiary institutions and with the results that we currently have, we can foresee a bigger group of learners that will become the scientist, engineers and doctors we need in this country.
IkamvaYouth is very thankful to Education Without Borders for enabling us to implement the Math Yes We Can books for our Grade 8’s, and also for making a difference in the future of our youth. Special thanks to: Cecil and Ruth Hershler-funding provided through Education Without Borders, ‘Yes We Can’ math books writen by Dr Rahael Jalan and Nicholas Mei – Grade 8 facilitator.
The big number of parents that attended, showed the willingness and dedication these parents have for their children’s education.
At the meeting a number of issues were discussed with some of the more important issues being the role IkamvaYouth plays, attendance, the IY mission and vision, the benefits of being part of IY, report collection and tertiary placements for 2012 grade 12s. The parents also spoke about their experiences of the program, the concerns they have and how all the different projects and tutoring plays a role in shaping the lives of their children. The parents were excited about what their children are doing at Ikamva Youth and also looked forward to reaping the rewards and sharing in the successes of their children.
Also part of the meeting was the tutors who had opportunity to voice their opinions, concerns and successes they had while tutoring this year. One thing that stood out was the willingness of everyone present to make this program a success. One parent noted that this is one of the very few organisations that add value to her child as well as her life. She said that education is key in fighting poverty and finding a way out of township life and thanked IkamvaYouth for accepting her child in the programme. A grade 12 parent noted that money is one of the biggest stumbling blocks that keep their children from going to university and through IkamvaYouth’s involvement and our endeavors in helping students get bursaries, paying the application and registration fees, we are helping to make their dreams a reality.
The success of our programme is directly linked to the involvement of parents and through the interaction at the meeting we realised that the future of this beautiful country is looking bright. There is a willingness of people everywhere to make a difference and once a vision is shared it becomes a reality. Success breeds success and this saying was proved at the meeting. If everyone plays their role, no matter how small and insignificant they might think it is, change is possible.
A mentoring workshop was held at the Ebony Park branch during the weekend, fascilitated by Nomfuzo Ntolosi, a life coach, of The Coaching Centre, with experience in running mentorship workshops. Aspects covered by the the workshop include:
– career mentoring, the responsibilities of a mentor and mentee
– the mentoring approach, managing expectations, boundaries, relationship building, signing on and smooth dissolution
– looking after (self) the mentor
– communication with Ikamva Youth as well as identifying risks
There are already some Grade 12 learners who have been matched with a mentor. The mentor commits to two hours’ communication every month through various forms of communication networks. The first meeting is facilitated by the IkamvaYouth office, where the mentor will get to meet the mentee, and they will sign a mentorship agreement. Thereafter, the IkamvaYouth office must be informed of any meetings away from the office, to which the mentee’s parent or guardian must consent. Grade 12 learners were part of the participants and this workshop gave them insight on what mentorship is all about.
The current and potential mentors who attended were from African Bank, The Helen Suzman Foundation, MISTRA as well as the tutors from Ivory Park and Ebony Park branches. The turnout for the event was great, regardless of the rainy and chilly weather. The session was interactive which gave participants an opportunity to express their views as well as their experiences throughout the session.
The overall feedback was that it was an informative, very helpful session and was ideal to give a head start for mentoring young people in any given setting. A positive response was received from the evaluations done at the end of the workshop. Thank you to everyone that attended regardless of the weather conditions, your attendance made this workshop a success. The target is to have all grade 12 learners mentored, and thus we look forward to having more mentors coming on board. We are also looking forward to all the fruits that the mentoring will bear in ensuring the learners access tertiary opportunities, and are motivated to achieve in life.
Inspired by the National Planning Commission’s story of Thandi, which Trevor Manuel told as a way to depict the key challenges facing the country, IkamvaYouth has launched Funeka’s Story, which explains IkamvaYouth model and its impact, and sends out a call for volunteers and supporters.
[video:http://youtu.be/NEFflXglk28 align:center]
A BIG UP THANK YOU to:
* Funeka, for sharing your story and being such a professional voice-over artist!
* Capitec for availing Funeka during work hours to go to the sound studio
* Dan Eppel who recorded and mixed the sound
* Freshly Ground for donating the tunes
* the staff and interns who helped behind the scenes,
and especially to:
* Lynne Stuart (@ideainaforest) for applying her design talents to explain what we do so concisely and beautifully!
Lloyd Lungu