On 19 April 2023, DENOSA in KwaZulu-Natal visited one of the most remote and yet leading secondary schools in its category with a pass rate in the Harry Gwala District (Mgungundlovu, by DENOSA’s demarcation), Entsikeni Primary School in Entsikeni Village in Umzimkhulu, where they presented to the Grade 12 Life Sciences learners the opportunity that a nursing career could do to improve their lives.
DENOSA also presented the various specialist areas in nursing that are available to those in nursing.
Due to lack of both opportunities and funding, DENOSA stressed that nursing is often funded by the government.
The nursing professionals were led by DENOSA KZN Deputy Chairperson whose also serves as COSATU KZN Deputy Provincial Chairperson, Zanele Gumede. They included Provincial Organiser, Mr Mabaso, Full-Time Shop Steward, Andale Mbeje, Regional leaders from Mgungundlovu, Mr Sibiya, Ms Shobe, and Ms Gumede.
The school is not easily accessible and is saddled in the middle of the mountains between Underburg, Ixopo, Umzimkhulu and Kokstad.
It is an area that there are little opportunities for tertiary education for learner’s due to lack of access to such opportunities.
In the midst of the despondency, unemployment and poverty lies a school full of hope and good performance.
This secondary school, under the stewardship of Principal, Mr Mpompi, is rewriting the history of rural no-fee schools as it has achieved a consistent 100% pass rate for its learners for seven consecutive years since 2016.
Last year, out of a total of 104 Grade 12 learners, 96 of them got a Batchelor pass with while only achieved a diploma pass. No one got a higher certificate pass. The school got one learner who passed all 8 subjects with distinction. The learner is currently doing Medicine with UKZN.
The school is tracking all its learners who are at various institutions of higher learning and keep on communicating with them to check their progress.
This year, the school has 164 Grade 12 learners. Mr reported informed DENOSA proudly, that out of the 164 learners, 160 of them have passed the 1st Term Examinations and that they have put a programme to assist the 4 learners who did not pass so that they are assisted with the subjects that they are strughling with.
The school also aims to establish a partnership with the former Model C or private schools who are consistently achieving 100% pass rate with their learners on all the subjects every year.
“To us, it is not normal or an expectation that every learner passes all their subjects with distinction. But it is normal for those schools to achieve 100% year in and year out,” said Mr Mpompi.
“And that is why we want to form a relationship with one of them, so that we could copy what they are doing to achieve without having to encourage learners to learn religiously and constantly.”
