Excitement for province’s Top Learners (12 January 2010); Eastern Cape Department of Education

Excitement for province’s Top Learners

Posted on Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Article by DAILY DISPATCH - ASA SOKOPO and BONGANI FUZILE

Brent Harrison, 16, of King Edward High School in Matatiele is the Eastern Cape's top matric pupil for 2009, scored nine A symbols.

Harrison’s lowest mark was 89 percent. His highest was 97 percent in maths – his favourite subject.

And his secret?

“Apart from paying attention in class, I made no other changes (in matric). The most important thing is a good understanding of the work,” he said. Harrison, who plans to study a BSc degree at the University of Cape Town, is also one of the country’s top science pupils – he took top prize in the national Science Olympiad and was chosen to represent South Africa at the London Inter-Science Youth Forum two weeks before trial exams.

“I’m very excited and was not expecting this at all, it was a tremendous honour ,” he said.

His dad Gordon, who is also his teacher and school principal, said they were proud of their son, who they sent to school two years ahead of time to stimulate his mind.

“We are grateful to God that we are blessed with an intelligent and hardworking child. He is a delight to us,” Gordon said.

Collegiate Girls’ High School’s Caitlin Allen came in second, while Queenstown Girls’ High School’s (GHS) former headgirl Alexandra Taylor, 17, came third in the province.

GHS principal Richard Edkins said Taylor achieved seven distinctions.

He described her as “top class” and “brilliant”.

“She’s a year younger for her class and one of the best head girls we’ve had,” he said.

In the historically disadvantaged category (HDI), Holy Cross Senior Secondary School’s Sanele Tyalibongo from Mthatha came in tops.

Tyalibongo said he would study chemical engineering at Wits University.

“It’s an honour for me to be one of the top students for the province from my background. My message for the up and coming learners is to love their books and work hard,” he said.

Tyalibongo’s mother was a teacher who died when he was six years old.

“Being brought up by a single parent motivated me to work hard.

“My family played a huge role in my success.”

Onesimo Langeni, 19, from Dalindyebo Senior Secondary School, came in second place.

Langeni, who hopes to study in either Cape Town or Port Elizabeth, said he was grateful to be named one of the top achievers as he would not have been able to pay for his tuition.

“I was very happy with my results,” he said.

Ntokozo Dambuza from Bizana Secondary Senior School came third in the province.