Darul Arqum Islamic High matrics record 100% pass rate
Darul Arqum Islamic High School’s matric class of 2023 achieved a 100% pass rate in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams, earning them the top spot out of all the high schools in Mitchell’s Plain.
The Eastridge school’s matric class of 2020 also recorded a 100% pass rate during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic (“Plains matrics beat the odds” Plainsman, February 24, 2021).
The class of 2023 is the fourth class to finish their schooling after the pandemic and resultant lockdowns started in 2020.
Western Cape matriculants achieved an 81.5% pass rate and the Metro South District 78.5%.
Spine Road High School came a close second with a 99.6% followed by Mondale High School with a 98% pass rate.
Last year it was Spine Road High School who placed first with 99%, in second was Darul Arqam Islamic High School with 98.1% and Mondale High School with 96.6% pass rate (“‘I passed, thank you mom and dad’”, Plainsman January 25, 2023).
Darul Arqum’s principal Sheik Ebrahiem Dawood said he is extremely proud of their pupils.
“Our 112 pupils showed grit with the difficult time they experienced at the school, they pushed through. With the support of the parents and the efforts of the teachers we managed to turn around the results,” he said.
Top pupil at Darul Arqum, Fatimah Lassissi, 17, said she will be taking a gap year deciding on whether to study medicine or psychology.
“I appreciate all the effort my school put in as they’d motivate us to do so well, it means everyone has a chance,” she said.
Making fifth place, Amina Adjiet, 20, matriculated after she was out of school for five years to memorise the Holy Qur’an. This signifies her furthering her studies in her faith, she said.
“I feel extremely relieved that I’ve passed amidst being out of school for so long, I’ve worked really hard,” she said.
She’ll be studying a BA in Islamic studies in Arabic at International Peace College of South Africa, in Rylands.
Maliqah Sonday, 18, placed second, and said she is proud of herself and her class.
“I will miss my friends the most and their support.” She will be studying social work or nursing at the University of the Western Cape.
Her mother, Bronwyn Sonday, 49, said: “I’m a proud mom. We wish her all the success for this year and beyond.”
Spine Road High School principal Mark Fairbairn said it’s the teachers who makes the difference in schools.
“If you have hard working teachers then everything falls into place. We did the same thing we do every year and we aim for 100% pass,” he said.
They had 228 pupils of which 227 passed, with 195 passing with a Bachelor’s degree pass.
Mr Fairbairn said they have the highest number of pupils doing pure mathematics in the Western Cape with 140 pupils passing it (98.6%).
Placing first at Spine Road High with code 7s for all her subjects was Chleo Uys, 18, from Beacon Valley.
She wasn’t expecting to pass so well. She just wanted to get into university.
She got accepted to study medicine at Stellenbosch University as well as UCT and at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, for accounting.
She always wanted to be a forensic pathologist, but it was medicine all along, she said.
“Thank you to the principal and teachers for all the help. To the class of 2024, don’t put too much pressure on yourself. It goes by so fast but enjoy the journey,” she said.
Jama Jikijela, 18, from Khayelitsha, born in the United Kingdom, was highly affected by her financial circumstances yet she placed fourth in her grade with six distinctions.
Her mom went to the UK to study somatology. She had Jama at 23 and her gran offered to raise her in Khayelitsha.
Jama’s taxi would drop her at the bridge at school where she would later meet strangers who committed to safely walking her to school in the mornings.
She couldn’t get her reports for some of the terms throughout her school years, yet through teachers assisting her, she did.
“I put in so much work, especially with physical science as I struggled,” she said
She got accepted to study accounting in Stellenbosch.“I want to help my family get out of this situation.”
The issues affecting her and her classmates were crime, the dangerous environment and struggling with mental health. “I am so proud that we’ve all pushed through this and still passed,” she said.
Her teachers have been instrumental through her school life. “I wouldn’t have made it this far without them.”
Western Cape provincial MEC of Education, David Maynier congratulated the class of 2023 for their outstanding results, and for the many hours they dedicated to investing in their own future during their matric year. “It has paid off, and we are so very proud of them.”
“Our matric parents rallied around to support our candidates this year, and they share in this achievement,” she said.
“We also recognise the exceptional efforts of our matric teachers, as they have faced a challenging year standing alongside their pupils. Our teachers in the Western Cape are the best of the best, and we wish them all the best in the year ahead,” he said.
· Mitchell’s Plain matric results:
1. Darul Arqum Islamic High School - 100%
2. Spine Road High School - 99.6%
3. Mondale High School - 98%
4. Rocklands High School - 90.7%
5. Portland High School - 89.6%
6. Oval North High School - 86.9%
7. Strandfontein High School - 79.9
8. Cedar High School of Arts - 77.2%
9. Westridge High School - 74.4%
10. Glendale High School - 71.6%
11. Beacon Hill High School - 69.9%
12. Woodlands High School - 69.7%
13. Aloe High School - 63.9%
14. Princeton High School 61.2%
15. AZ Berman High School - 54.1%
16. Tafelsig High School - 48.6%
17. Lentegeur High School - 46.2%