Mayor honours the top matrics

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - It was a treat to see Mossel Bay executive mayor Harry Levendal in action at his annual function for matrics.Each year Alderman Levendal honours matrics who did the best at the various high schools in Mossel Bay and also those who achieved their certificate despite specially challenging circumstances.

Mayor Levendal had something special to say to everyone - the principals from the high schools, moms, dads and the matrics - at the function on Friday, 24 January, in the municipal building at Santos Beach.

He said that for a principal it was hard looking after someone else's child at school. One did not know fully the child's background and circumstances. Levendal said he was in his position of authority today because he had the experience of having been a headmaster. It was thanks to a school, he said.

To the moms, he said: "Mothers have one foot in the grave and one foot among the living when they give birth."

There was always a chance a woman might die during childbirth, he noted. He cited the example of a woman who had had to choose between her life and the life of her unborn baby. She chose to die so her child would live.

That child went on to study in order to honour his mother, Levendal said.

Matrics from Sao Bras High School with their headmaster, David Groenewald, and the mayor.

Hostel
The mayor had been in hostel while at school. He had had to close his eyes and eat his porridge because it had worms in it.

"If you have never had to do that, thank your father for putting food on the table," Levendal said. "Hostel is not like being in your parents' home."

Before the proceedings a minute's silence was observed for Great Brak Secondary School principal Angela Muller, who passed away during the December holidays. The mayor said he had bumped into Muller at a mall in George a few months before she passed away.

Foremost on her mind had been the challenges facing the children at her school, some of whom came from difficult socio-economic circumstances. She spared no thought for her own challenges, the mayor said.

Levendal singled out one of the matrics at the function, who comes from the financially challenged community of Hoogekraal near Glentana. This boy was part of a duet who sang at Muller's memorial service. Levendal told the boy Muller would have wanted the boy to make a success of his life.

The mayor said children from tough circumstances thought of two things: "Do I have food to eat? How do I get to school?"

The top Hillcrest Secondary School matrics with the mayor, principal Ivan Kroneberg (third from right), town council representatives and the matrics' supporters.

Nutrition
Inadequate nutrition for learners and a lack of transport were still challenges in the Mossel Bay area, he noted.

The mayor chose Ivan Kroneberg, principal of Hillcrest Secondary School, to give an address. The school was recognised by the provincial Education Department this year for ramping up its matric pass rate from 68,7% in 2017, to 73,4% in 2018 and then 84,3% in 2019.

These results were achieved despite the difficulty of finding qualified replacements for teachers who left the school and the murder of a child on the school premises last year. There was also a rape case and resulting "negativity around the school".

Kroneberg said competition between schools was good, but "we serve one community, so we need to co-operate". Like Levendal, he said hunger and a lack of transport were challenges for learners and schools. He said retaining learners at the school was difficult. Kronenberg described his school as the "kingdom of diversity".

It is the most diverse school in Mossel Bay, with Afrikaans, English and IsiXhosa learners.

Point High School matrics with their headmaster, Adolf Gouws, and the mayor.

Each matric present was given R1 000 - either for being among the best or for achieving a certificate despite challenging circumstances. Levendal showed a tremendous depth of empathy with the "human condition", fairness and wisdom in his address. He did not laud overly the children who achieved As.

He said they should be grateful to the Lord for giving them brains, indicating that a high IQ was a gift from God and should not cause pride.

Some of the school leavers could not make the function because they had already left town to go to tertiary education establishments. None of the Curro Mossel Bay school top achievers were available to attend. The headmaster, Jaco Olivier, collected their envelopes from the mayor on their behalf.

The Indwe Secondary School matrics with the mayor and headmaster Ntsikelele Ngcenge.