WCED shines at the National Education Excellence Awards
Statement by Minister Debbie Schäfer, Minister of Education Western Cape
WCED education districts and schools have been recognised as among the country’s best at the National Education Excellence Awards held by the Department of Basic Education.
The awards ceremony was held in Umhlanga on the 7th of April 2022, with the theme of “Celebrating Excellence in Districts and Schools, and building back better with integrity”. This is the 8th iteration of the awards, which are based on indicators of education quality (such as Mathematics and Science pass rates), rather than simply looking at the overall National Senior Certificate (NSC) pass rate.
It is a great pity that they are not announced during the matric results celebrations at the beginning of the year, to emphasise the importance of quality education instead of only prioritising the “league table”.
Two WCED education districts were recognised for their outstanding work. Metro North Education District (MNED) won second place for the highest percentage of bachelor passes between 2019 and 2021 in the NSC examinations. The district also won second place in the category “Selected Quality Indicators in the 2021 NSC exams for districts serving up to 400 schools”. Metro Central Education District (MCED) won third place in the same category.
MNED Director, Wendy Horn, received a certificate for outstanding achievement over three years (achieving 85% and above). Horn said it takes teamwork to produce these results. “These awards are dedicated to every staff member at both our high and primary schools, to every member in the district office and the colleagues at Head Office. I am so proud of every person who has contributed to ensuring our learners receive the best quality education we can provide. To adapt a quote by Michael Jordan: ‘Talent and individuals win games, but teamwork wins championships’.”
The Centre of Science and Technology (COSAT) was awarded a prize for being the best performing Quintile 3 school in the country, based on the highest percentage pass in Mathematics and Physical Sciences in the 2021 NSC exams. COSAT Principal, Tiro Motaung, said the award is an acknowledgement of the hard work of learners and educators. “Furthermore, COSAT’s mission statement is focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). All our FET learners offer Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Information Technology or Computer Applications Technology.”
The Western Cape also had the top performing schools in Quintile 5. Westerford High School in Rondebosch claimed the top position, and Principal Mark Smith said: "We are extremely proud of the work done by last year's matric cohort and equally proud of all the hard work done by our staff who teach and support the learning process." Rhenish Girls’ High School and Bloemhof Girls’ High School, both in Stellenbosch, were placed second and third respectively.
I warmly congratulate our winning districts and schools, and thank our officials and school staff for the outstanding work that they have done to deliver quality education to all of our learners. I look forward to seeing more districts and schools recognised next year!
Media Enquiries:
Kerry Mauchline
Spokesperson to Minister Debbie Schäfer
Western Cape Ministry of Education
Kerry.Mauchline@westerncape.gov.za