Cape Town – Six of the country’s top 10 schools in the 2018 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams were from the Western Cape, with five from Cape Town.
Pupils at Herschel Girls' School in Cape Town matriculated with an average of 5.3 distinctions (80% or more for a subject) per pupil, a Business Insider SA comparison found. The top 10 schools that wrote the NSC exams boasted an average of three distinctions per pupil.
The data was cross-referenced with information provided by the career guidance and education site Gradesmatch. Schools with fewer than 20 pupils were excluded from the top-performing list.
Herschel Girls' School was also the most expensive school on the list with an annual tuition fee of R109 000.
State school Bloemhof Hoërskool in Stellenbosch came third with 3.6 distinctions per pupil and was the cheapest school in the top 10 at R30 560 per pupil per annum.
Professor Jonathan Jansen from Stellenbosch University, reflecting on his visit to Herschel last week, posted on Facebook: "I had the pleasure of listening to two graduates of Herschel Girls address their school community before my turn came to speak. They spoke about how great their school is/was, and what the school did not teach them about the real world out there.
"I thought that second part was what made the school great... empowering young women to reflect critically on their own experiences, even when it is critical of the school. If your Grade 12 results include that capacity to think and to think critically about the things closest to you, your distinctions might mean something."
With the focus on the 2018 matric results, Professor Jonathan Jansen on Thursday questioned the emphasis being placed on the number of distinctions obtained.
Jansen posted on Twitter last Thursday: "What is the point about seeking and getting 8 distinctions in Grade 12? Are these really smart students or the victims of poor mentorship? Ever hear from them again? How many of them become great leaders?"
He also told Netwerk24 last week impressive matric results cannot serve as a guide for future success at university, emphasising that the "students who stood out at university weren't the ones with the best marks, but those who worked hard, showed comprehension and got on well with others".
A summary of the Herschel Girls' School results:
• The Class of 2018 achieved a 100% pass rate and a 100% bachelor degree pass.
• The 107 candidates achieved 568 subject distinctions (including Advanced Programme Mathematics and Advanced Programme English). This equates to an average of 5.3 subject distinctions per candidate.
• 15 girls attained an aggregate over 90%
• 75 girls attained an A aggregate (over 80%)
• A further 24 girls attained a B aggregate (over 70%)
• 15 of the 23 subjects achieved a subject average of over 80%. These are English, Advanced Programme Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, Dramatic Arts, French, Geography, German, History, isiXhosa, Music, Visual Arts and Accounting.
Mathematics had an excellent average of 77.3% and Advanced Programme English 79.2%.
• 57 pupils (53%) achieved 6 or more subject distinctions and 81 pupils (76%) achieved 4 or more subject distinctions.
Outstanding pupil achievements:
• 9 subject distinctions (4 pupils): Jessica Austin, Emma Ford, Charlotte Louw and Imogen Michau
• 8 subject distinctions (20 pupils): Juliette Bennie, Caitlin Brooks, Helena Comitis, Jessie Cooper, Amber de Decker, Georgina de Sousa, Sophie Dyason, Sarah Ebell, Nabiha Ebrahim, Na’ilah Ebrahim, Sabriyyah Ebrahim, Alexa Goff, Malaika Kalassa, Maria Khan, Kyra Meyer, Nu-Ayn Mohamed, Isla Sutherland, Yakeen Uddin, Savannah Viuff and Ziyaan Zoutenberg
• 7 subject distinctions (19 pupils): Salma Ahmed, Gina Alpert, Candice Borain, Alex Collins, India Hardie, Tabitha Hatherill, Brittany Johnson, Joëlle Joubert, Ziyyan Khan, Tegan Lillie, Aleeza Malik, Mia Manthorp, Sophia Rabie, Kelci Rice, Ammaarah Roshan, Sara Ruiters, Alexandra Thompson, Jamie Wickens and Zeenat Zalgaonkir
• 6 subject distinctions (14 pupils): Zara Booth, Kelsey Brookes, Megan Collings, Gemma Earl, Sarah Erasmus, Alexia Frank, Jade Lanfear, Abigail Lorenz, Lindelani Mulaudzi, Sophia Petousis, Erin Roos, Ameerah Saban, Zara van der Vent and Angela Welham
• Four girls achieved 100% for subjects: Joëlle Joubert and Sophia Rabie (Visual Arts), Nur-Ayn Mohamed (Geography) and Margaux Verspieren (French),
• The Dux for 2018 is Charlotte Louw (97%), followed by Nur-Ayn Mohamed (96%) and Jessica Austin (93%) and Ilsa Sutherland (93%).