Consistent hard work pays off for WC top learner
12 March 2021
Daniel van Nimwegen of Diocesan College knew he would do well in the 2020 National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, but he did not expect to clinch the top spot in the province.
The Western Cape Education Department celebrated the top achievers in the NSC exams at an awards ceremony at Leeuwenhof, the official residence of the Western Cape Premier.
Awards were presented to learners for the best performance in specified subjects, outstanding performance in the Special Needs category, Special Ministerial awards and awards to the top 40 candidates in the province.
Diocesan College was represented by three learners. Daniel and Andrew Low were respectively in first and fifth place while Chris Dicey was amongst the top 40 candidates and the top candidate in Information Technology (IT) in the province.
Schools were also presented with awards in various categories. Diocesan College placed third in the top twenty schools in the province.
Daniel said given the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, he was glad that the Class of 2020 was able to pull through and perform well. Like many other learners around the world. he had to adapt to online learning during the lockdown and he lauded teachers for their incredible effort to make sure that learners were not disadvantaged. “They were very instrumental in all our successes because of how much effort they put in the online learning and making sure we got the best opportunity we could in these tough circumstances.”
When asked about the secret to his success, he said, “The key is just hard work and carrying on with the same routine of working hard every day, setting higher goals for yourself and making sure you achieve those standards.”
