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Christel House South Africa (Christel House SA), a non-profit school that serves students from severely impoverished communities in Cape Town, celebrated a 90% matric pass rate in the National Senior Certificate examinations, which is above the national average of 81.3%.
The Christel House SA matriculants of 2019 achieved 23 subject distinctions and 61% received a Bachelor pass, compared to the national Bachelor pass rate average of 36.9%.
Music and Computer Application Technology were also introduced to the matric students as new subjects for the first time and both subjects received a 100% pass rate.
Top performing student and valedictorian, Nosiviwe Mpukane from Langa, achieved six distinctions and has been provisionally accepted at the University of Cape Town to study a Bachelor of Law degree.
Spectacular teachers
Mpukane was thrilled to be celebrating a successful pass and thankful to Christel House.
She said, "My peers and I have received a great education thanks to our spectacular teachers."
"In addition to education, Christel House has also prepared us for a successful future by instilling strong character-building qualities in each student. I am ready for any challenge that comes my way and look forward to a bright future".
Another top student at the school, Jessie Stellmacher from Mitchell’s Plain, received four distinctions.
She was the school’s recipient of the annual Knebel Award, a coveted award given to one student at each of the eight international Christel House schools who displays strong character values.
Stellmacher thanked Christel House for instilling core values in her and supporting her in all she does.
“Enrolling as a student at Christel House was the first step to my goal of rising above the unfortunate circumstances that I find myself in.
Since words are inadequate to express my appreciation for everything my school has done for me, I intend on showing it through my actions of giving back to my community and becoming a success in life,” added Stellmacher.
(Learner with Principal of the school. Picture supplied)
Christel House SA, which is based in Ottery, Cape Town is one of eight Christel House schools across the globe, including India, Mexico, America and Jamaica.
Students who attend the school come from 20 of the poorest communities on the Cape Flats and are successfully admitted to the school based on financial need – the average household income of the child’s family must be less than R1500 per person in the household per month.
Students receive free education including transport to the school, daily meals, guidance counselling and healthcare.
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Extremely proud
The Principal of the High School, Ronald Fortune, who has been at Christel House for 15 years, says he is extremely proud of the hard work and dedication shown by the matric class of 2019.
"Our aim at Christel House is to break the cycle of poverty through a holistic, character-based education model. We are confident that our students will take their successful matric pass as a stepping-stone towards achieving the potential we know each one of them has."
"I am also confident that our students who didn’t manage to achieve a successful pass will rewrite their examinations and continue to persevere”.
The class of 2019 will join the rest of the Christel House alumni who receive stipends and structured support for up to five years after leaving school through its award-winning College & Careers programme.
Fortune added, “With South Africa’s youth unemployment rate at a staggering 55%, a matric certificate does not equate to finding employment.
Ensuring that our matriculants get all the help and support they need to complete their tertiary studies and find their first job is what Christel House strives to achieve”.
(Learner with her father after receiving her results. Picture supplied)
Today, 96% of all Christel House’s alumni are either studying, working or doing both. This proves that the Christel House model works and is making meaningful impact in the lives of the students and the communities it serves.
A helping hand
Christel House will be welcoming 60 new Grade R learners to the school in January 2020 and is appealing to the public to support their #GiveaHandUp campaign to help fund a Grade R starter kit for each student.
The starter kit includes school shoes, a summer uniform, stationery, books and fortified porridge that will help kickstart the Grade R learners 18-year journey with the school.
To donate as little as R150, R500 or R1200 (the price of a full starter kit) to Christel House, visit https://sa.christelhouse.org/ or contact Megan Sonnenberg on 021 704 9417/ msonnenberg@sa.christelhouse.org.
Christel House is a registered non-profit organisation and a 100% of all donations benefit Christel House’s projects and programs.
All South African donors are eligible to receive a tax-deductible 18A certificate and companies can receive B-BBEE points for their contributions as a 100% of Christel House’s beneficiaries are Black.
Compiled for Parent24 by Christel House
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