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News - Date: 14 January 2011
When Mr Nnditsheni Ramugondo, the former principal of the all-conquering Mbilwi High at Sibasa in Limpopo left the institution last year, many doubting Thomases felt that the school’s glory was a thing of the past.
The school has once again achieved position one in Limpopo and many are wondering where the secret lies. When Mirror visited the school on Monday to get the lowdown, everybody at the school was brimming with confidence and it was clear that the school has a winning formula.
Seated in his cosy office, newly appointed principal Mr Nyambeni Cedrick Lidzhade afforded this newspaper an interview, even though we arrived without prior appointment. He was oozing with confidence and his face told it all. “It is an open secret that we are a winning school - the best school in the province. We have obtained the traditional 100% pass rate, which we have been doing for many years, and we are not afraid to share our secret with all other schools in the province,“ he said.
Lidzhade said the 2010 class of Grade 12 had 327 learners and all of them had passed , most with university exemption, which allows them easy admission at universities and colleges. “We worked hard, despite the challenges we had during the year; the FIFA 2010 Soccer World Cup, public service strikes and other challenges did not tarnish our record. We managed to have 272 learners pass with exemption, maintaining the foundation that was laid by my predecessor, Mr Nnditsheni Ramugondo, and we are building our successes on that foundation,” he said.
Lidzhade said teamwork, regular meetings with the school management team, a supportive SGB, dedicated learners, educators, supportive parents and committed support staff had made it possible to succeed against all odds. “We have a winning team and those who doubted us will soon realize that they were wrong and we are still on track."
The school bagged the following awards: Award for being rated in the Top 40 schools in the province; Award for achieving 100% pass rate; Award for being ranked first in the province; Award for being rated top school in Vhembe (high enrollment) and an award for meeting the requirements to be in Club 100 of the best achieving schools in mathematics.
He said they would not have achieved that much if they did not adhere to their set rules at the school. “We have set ourselves goals and rules which we strive to meet. We manage our time effectively. All of us, including the learners, come to school on time, observe all the lessons, teach all lessons and all periods. We have winter classes and extra support classes, starting as early as January, and a willingness to go the extra mile makes us a winning school,” he said.
Mbilwi made history in 2007 by becoming the first black school outside the former Model C school system to be admitted to the elite Club 100 of the schools that produce a 100% pass rate in maths. The school has maintained its position in the elite league over the years.
Meanwhile, there is an overall improvement in the province’s results, which rose from a paltry 48,9% to 57,9%, a 9% improvement overall. A total of 94 000 matriculants wrote last year. Sixteen schools made it to the elite Club 100 for mathematics, while 44 climbed the ladder and joined the Club 50. Nearby,Thohoyandou Secondary made other schools eat humble pie by achieving a 100% pass rate.
Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019. He currently writes on a freelance basis, covering human rights issues, court news and entertainment.
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