Everything you want to say about the matric results for 2012 here:
How they finished in the NSC (pass rate %):
| 1 | Gauteng | 83.9% |
| 2 | Western Cape | 82.8% |
| 3 | Free State | 81.1% |
| 4 | North West | 79.5% |
| 5 | Northern Cape | 74.6% |
| 6 | KwaZulu-Natal | 73.1% |
| 7 | Limpopo | 70.0% |
| 8 | Eastern Cape | 61.6% |
Top Schools based on number of distinctions per pass
| Rank | School | Passes | Distinctions | Distinctions/Pass |
| 1 | Herschel HS | 96 | 435 | 4.53 |
| 2 | Crawford College La Lucia | 110 | 432 | 3.93 |
| 3 | Al-Falaah College | 53 | 197 | 3.72 |
| 4 | Star College | 33 | 118 | 3.58 |
| 5 | Springfield Convent Of The Holy Rosary | 81 | 279 | 3.44 |
| 6 | Rustenburg Girls` HS | 136 | 467 | 3.43 |
| 7 | Eden College Durban | 34 | 111 | 3.26 |
| 8 | Afrikaanse Hoer Meisieskool | 213 | 688 | 3.23 |
| 9 | Crawford College Pretoria | 128 | 413 | 3.23 |
| 10 | Bloemhof Girls High School | 134 | 427 | 3.19 |
@Westers: Not 100% sure he said exactly that – I might have misquoted it. Lets not change tack. Do you agree though that it makes more sense to let a boy write matric that he might pass than keep in back in Grade 11 to protect the schools reputation?
@Greenblooded. The comment that “Glenwood is one of the few schools” implies that MOST of the other schools are keeping boys back to protect a 100% pass record. Can this be backed up by facts? If so Kershaw should have the courage to state the facts. To me it a means to deflect unwanted criticism from Glenwood.
@Westers: Not too bright? I think it’s very bright.
Scenario 1: Joe Bloggs passes Grade 11 but is kept back to protect his schools ego and writes matric the following year barely passing or maybe failing.
Scenario 2: Joe Bloggs scrapes through Grade 11 and his school lets him write matric because, although he might fail, he will do far better the next time round having covered the work twice and having experienced the intimidating environment of sitting in a National Exam.
So do you make the guy repeat Grade 11 or Matric? Depends if you care about the boy or the schools record I guess.
@Westers: I read Greenbloodeds post differently. If a kid might fail matric they let him try anyway. Situation exactly with my nephew this year. Everyone, even the boy himself and his folks, were convinced he was going to bomb – he has proper ADHD (not just a tad sleepy in class), did not apply at Varsities anywhere because his trials marks were too poor. Kid got a single A, couple of B’s and a varsity pass. It’s never over till it’s over. His first comment – “jeez, if I had known how clever I was I might have done some work” …
The school that I know that gets rid of students who might blemish their reputation is Crawford La Lucia. They manipulate, they find every excuse to give the kids 3 strikes, but one way or another they get rid of kids that might “let them down”. Disgraceful. Then they trumpet on about being #3 or #4 in SA.
@Greenblooded. Is Trevor Kershaw saying that Glenwood would rather let a boy fail matric than keep him back to ensure that he passes a year later? That’s what it sounds like. Not too bright in my book. Maybe protecting a 100% pass rate creates a win win for boy and school.
Asking a boy to leave to protect a 100% pass rate at a school is a different story.
@Greenblooded, yep I am aware of this. Many schools keep kids back or ask them to leave if they are borderline to ensure they keep their 100% pass rate intact. It’s a manipulated scenario but one many heads are willing to do……..sad but true…
@Grasshopper: Apprently there were 2 failures as well. Trevor Kershaw was on record in the paper earlier this week saying that Glenwood is one of the few school who do not covet a 100% pass rate by keeping borderline kids back.
For a supposed non academic school Glenwood did pretty well;
9A’s – 1 Ryan Prithraj
7A’s – 8
6A’s – 6
5A’s – 8
4A’s – 13
3A’s – 24
2A’s – 39
1A – 59
224 passes, not bad at all! 15 with 6A’s or more…
Hope we dont see anymore of this over age crap this year it really does not do schoolboy rugby any good
@BoishaaiPa: Thanks. Got it. The boys gets his brains from his dad. No matter, has a varsity pass so it is “reset” and on they go.
@Gungets Tuft: Unfortunatly I dont have the paper with the results anymore, but you can get all the results on this webpage
http://www.iol.co.za/news/matric-results
just type in Paarl Boy’s High School in the search (exactly like that with the apostrophe)
@beet: The schoolboy world is going to be very hard on the next school to be caught out, especially if they have not done their homework. It’s not that hard – ask for the birth record at the hospital, a vaccination record. If all else fails, check their welfare claims. If people start claiming child support in 1990 for a child born in 1994 then it will be a record gestation.
Not wanting to give rogue parents or agents any ideas but the best way would be to assume the identity of a child dying in the correct period. Given how cold-blooded the cheating was, it would not surprise me in the slightest if someone tried that.
@Westers: That’s the way it usually goes with these matters. The international body places trust in the local body to make sure it’s house is in order and has no reason to believe otherwise. Then people in the local community start talking, next thing an investigative reporter get tipped off. He/she thinks it’s worth pursuing and starts digging. Finds out some interesting stuff and it gets published as a headline story or documentary on TV. It makes international news. The international body is then under pressure to do something. The local body has egg on it’s face, is fined or suspended and is forced to clean up it’s act. Well that’s how I imagine would work in a case like this.
The next generation over-age criminal is going to be smarter and much harder to weed out I’m sure. A lot of guys got caught because those behind it did not prepare an audit trail beyond the fake ID or late birth registration, mainly because it wasn’t required. For now it is and the guys trying to beat the system in future will know this.
@The Beast: I’m talking about being able to field 28 teams on a Saturday that are competitive down to F team level. How do you think the Kearsney / Hilton / Michaelhouse C teams will do against Glenwood, Westville or College?
@Thebeast, boet think before you speak and maybe read the stats;
Glenwood vs Kearsney (since 1942)
Played: 70
Won: 41
Lost: 26
Drawn: 3
Who has the better record? Glenwood are ranked 5th in the province based on results since rugby started, behind College, DHS, Michaelhouse and Hilton in that order. The main reason for this is that those 4 schools are older and were more established in the early days. Give Glenwood and Westville another 20 years of current results and they will be over taking the likes of Hilton and Michaelhouse. College are the undisputed kings of rugby in KZN, no doubt…….hope you well slurry or red army under your new disguise….
@GreenBlooded: The only school among your so called big 3 who has been consistent for many years is MC, don’t flatter yourself Glenwood, you might have had a good 10 yrs or so but you lot are not in the league of Kearsney, Michaelhouse, Hilton and MC. You have a long way to go.
Big 3, what a friggin laugh!!!!
It’s the Big 1 – Maritzburg College and the 2 Pretenders.
Agree with everything you both say regarding the Westville Glenwood fixtures. It is plain nuts that this squabble hasn’t been resolved and nearly 900 boys will be deprived of a match. The only 3 schools who can match each other nowdays are Westville, Glenwood and College. DHS need to get back up to speed and hopefully Northwood will gain both the quality and depth to join the Big 3. This will mean a great many more KZN derby’s each year. I particularly don’t like the example that these adult leaders are setting for the boys – i.e. if you have an issue with someone / something, throw your toys and walk away. Not good – and I still don’t know which Trevor is pissed off with which so I’m dissappointed either way.
Glenwood have far too many filler fixtures. Alex/Linpark etc need to go. Ideally the Big 3 (Glenwood, College, Westville) should play each other home and away every year.
@Westers, I think Glenwood have cricket fixtures on the 9th. Our first fixture is against Kearsney on the 16th. Madness to have a derby so early on, kind of like the Westville vs Glenwood fixture this year. Westville went in the better prepared in my opinion, having played a plucky George Campbell unit the week before and Glenwood not playing at all. I prefer local fixtures to be played after the Easter festivals once the teams have had a chance to get going and gel a bit…
@Grasshopper, Looking at the KZN fixtures elsewhere on this site another possible date could be 9 March. Other schools are scheduled to start playing on this date (Northwood, Kearsney, DHS and George Campbell). Not ideal to play as the first fixture of the season, but better than not playing at all.
Apart from the 1st team, Westville as a school open their season against Hilton on 16 March and their next game is only on 13 April against Empangeni.
@beet, Do you know if there have been any updates to the KZN fixtures you posted a while ago?
@Grasshopper, Couldn’t agree more. Not sure anything will happen on 22nd June as 2nd term ends on Friday 21st.
Westville also need to decide if they want to take rugby seriously or not. If they do, they need to extend their season into term 3, like Gelnwood and College. This would then create time for home and away fixtures. Hopefully someone at Westville who cares reads this.
@Westers, what is Westville doing on the 22nd of June? The Glenwood fixtures have this date as TBA, maybe it’s been purposely put as TBA because they are hoping to come to a resolution. It’s absolute madness that schools within 15km of each other and similar strengths are not playing. They should in fact be playing home and away every year. Glenwood are now playing Monnas annually who are more than 600km away. The Trevor’s need to put their grudges/vendetta’s aside and think about ALL the boys here.
@beet, I can believe that may be the case, but then the RU’s are leaving themselves open to potential problems at age group tornaments. SA rugby could be the laughing stock of world rugby if we were found to have over age players. You would think there would be some form of check by the RUs with the schools before admission to an academy or to be chosen for an age group side.
@Greenblooded, If you were 16 in grade eight you might have had the wisdom to get that second ID book. Proves you were obviously legit.
Just a comment on the audit, I don’t like the fact that Westville did not apparently submit to the audit. This process should be linked to the Boksmart initiative so all schools subscribing are on the same footing.
There needs to be more transparency by all schools regarding these issues and some clarity on the Headmasters agreements would also be welcome.
I am still irked that Westville will not be playing Glenwood this year. I keep hoping this will change. Most boys only have 5 years at high school so to miss out on an annual fixture such as this is a great loss to the boys. The powers that be need to forget the politics of 1st team rugby sometimes and remember that there are several hundred boys at both schools deprived of what should be a great days rugby. Westville already have too many weaK fixtures in the short season and too many staggers where boys miss out. I am hoping this changes soon.
@GreenBlooded: You sure would have been popular!
@Westers: It will depend of which of his 2 ID books he chooses to use. Apparently he has 2 – one saying he is 19 and the other saying he is 22. I’m just thinking how cool it would have been if I had 2 ID books at school. I could have been driving to school in Grade 9, voting, getting into over 18 clubs and buying beers for my mates at the bottle store while still playing U15 rugby!!
@Westers: I actually asked a couple of rugby union officials that work with kids just out of school about this – just generally and not specific to a particular player. There does not appear to be a link between the KZN high schools and the rugby unions. Post school agreements are between the RUs and the players and their parents if they are younger than 18. The SA Schools Act seems to require officials at schools to treat sensitive information as confidential (not sure about criminal acts which intentionally changing age is). From the RU side, the contract requires the player to disclose his name, age and ID number and sign it. If he chooses to lie about it and sign under a forged ID name and details, he is guilty of fraud but unless someone takes the initiative to investigate and prosecute or a school official leaks information, chances are that a player who failed the audit at school can continue living the lie after school. Well at least that’s the way I understand things to be.
@Greenblooded, I don’t know the facts. What I do know is he came on as a sub in the last game of the season. I did hear (only rumour) that he underwent a bone density test and his age was determined to be U19 last year. Do you think Westville would have played him if there was doubt. I also heard he has been given a spot at the Sharks Academy this year. If this is true it will be interesting to see what age group he plays in. This should tell all.
@Westers: Why did Westville not submit to the independant audit like every other school? Why did the young lad get jerked from the team for so long – on the excuse of the longest recorded case of ‘rolled ankle’ in medical history. Don’t mean to re-open this can of works again but you did ask the question.
@Greenblooded, Do you know for sure Westville had overage players and swept it under the carpet?
@Greenblooded, one word for our mate, fickle! I also wonder what the definition of ‘proper’ school is?
@Andre T: Unless of course you changed your name, persona, colour of your hair, direction of your toes, finger prints and even your DNA. In your case, not impossible!
@GreenBlooded: No I only support proper schools in KZN. Kearsney, Michaelhouse, Hilton and Maritzburg College.
@The Beast: Do you support DHS? They had overage players – double what Glenwood had actually. Westville too although they swept it under the carpet.
@BOG: There must be a problem then somehow cause I don’t seem to recall you either.
@Andre T: If you were there then, I would certainly know about it.
@BOG: Who said I don’t support GCB? I might have some interest there……….I might have been there for a year or two in the late 60’s………….you’ll never know.
@The Beast: I’m terribly disappointed in you for not supporting Monnas as well.
@The Beast: You must be Andre T then? Mind you, he does not support GCB.
@Grasshopper: I have my jersey, I am the Beast!!!!!! I support PRG, Boishaai, Queens, Kearsney, Maritzburg College, Grey College, Bishops and not Dale or Glenwood cos of over aged players in the past and probably, in the present and the future.
@Gungets, I was referring to NSC matric being far to easy. I was not referring to IEB. Although, I’m sure both have probably declined over the past decade or two…NSC much more so…
@The Beast: Come now Beastie Boy – tell us which school you went to? Embarrassed? Put on a jersey like the rest of us.
@Grasshopper: Stop having little snide remarks at pvt schools and I will be off your case.
@Beast, not everyone in the world is going to like me, that is fine. It would be boring if everybody agreed. All that I state are facts given to me by people in the know which I just distribute. But I certainly am not childish enough to start threatening people on blogs……one of the reasons this site is so good, because people blog maturely. I will not respond to any more of your blogs as this just feeds your fire…
@Grasshopper: Its not Glenwood that I dislike, it’s you whom I dislike, you have given Glenwood the rap by being a whingeing old geezer. You are without doubt the biggest know all ever seen, you have not watched SA School Rugby for years but claim to be so knowledgeable and always know every kid, his head size, boot size and d*** size.
I hope to see you watching some school rugby down in the WC this season, seeing you now claim to be based in CT. It won’t be long before you telling us all, how poor Bishops are just because they a PVT school.
@BoishaaiPa: Do you have a complete set up results for them. Have a friend who’s boy just matriculated daarso. Mom is a brainbox of note …
@thebeast, no chip boet, I can afford any private school. It’s called value for money, something you obviously don’t look for. Ya, let’s see what happens to us locusts in 2013. At least we pin our colours to a mast, something you can’t seem to do…..does anybody know who you support other than causing trouble and bad mouthing Glenwood…
@The Beast: Seconds out, Roooouuunnnddd number 1.
Beet – quick bru, seperate blog category for this, with a PG rating asseblief … bwahhahhaaaa.
For the record…The captain of the 2012 Paarl Boys team, Craig Corbett, got 9 distinctions….
@Grasshopper: Grassy, what chip do you have on your shoulder regarding Pvt Schools? You sound like a peasant when you whine and moan about what certain people are prepared to pay on school fees. Different strokes for different folks and here is to THE LOCUSTS taking it up the chutney this year with the first side in years to be of legal age, MAYBE!!!!!
@Andre T: Maybe hear they will have a good team
@BOG: Thats schocking i new him well
@ T- Just finished up. A bit of a mission. But they are good people though and I am sure you would like them
@ Grassy- Could not agree more re Kearsney. I think if you look at the school rankings above you will battle to find an all boys school. Westville boys while topping the provincial NSC rankings for boy schools still got done by Westville Girls who got 29 students with 6 or more As. That is what makes Kearsney’s results special.( and for the male gender in general).
@star, yes Westville has had a good year with their Old Boys, well done to Chad and Oscar. Also, to Micky Arthur and many others. Westville will ride on Chad’s achievements for many a year now and why not, every other school would too and do. When it comes to schoolboy not Old Boy achievements, I think Kearsney have taken the cake. SA Schools rugga and cricket players, also great IEB results. Hoping for a better 2013 for Glenwood in all areas…
@star: Didn’t think you’d have time to post here…………thought you’d still be busy with season’s greetings to your aunts, uncles and cousies.
@ T- At last you might be right.
I thought I would refer you to an article by the Sunday Tribune sports editor where the headline read ” Some sensational action and a sad start to 2013″. The sad start was the tragic loss of Burry Stander which has devastated us all..The ” SENSATIONAL” part were the 2 individual categories both filled by Westville Boys. While Chad won upset of the year becoming a” legend ” in the process , best individual performance went to Oscar Chalupsky who won the Molokai world championship title for a record 12th time at the age of 49 beating world and Olympic champions almost half his age. Simon Osler said” but don’t take my word for it”. ” Oscar Chalupsky… Without doubt the single most impressive human performance in a sporting arena that I have witnessed ” said Bouman” I salute you for it”. Tim Noakes compared it the man landing on the moon. I think the superlatives on the Westville website suddenly look a bit ordinary. 
My personal headline would involve the fact that one school had not one but 2 World( and iconic) achievements in one year. Not too shabby( although I won’t go as far as to say that it will never be repeated again). I have been called a bit of a cheerleader and I think we all are in way. However we must celebrate excellence at whatever school and show the necessary respect. Here is hoping for 2013. And to Grassy who says that the private schools buy all the cream. Well they missed a few 
@ Horsy- as you go on about the overstated Westville headlines on the school website
@Grasshopper: I saw how hard my daughter had to work for her results – the exams are not as easy as you make out. Everything is better these days – teaching aids, resources (remember the good old encyclopaedia that we used for reference work??), all of it. Im my day, perhaps not yours, as a white kid all I needed was a matric pass and I would go to University. I didn’t need 6 x A’s unless I wanted to study medicine. I scraped matric and was able to start out studying law, then accountancy (until I realised I might die of boredom). Not so any more, so a lot more pressure is put on kids.
As for the Kriels – sure, they gymed, but they were boarders, so their days were very structured with a compulsary 1.5 hours Prep time every day. Once in Matric that habit is ingrained so they are certainly not gyming after 6pm in the evening.
Jack is Back
THE YEAR OF THE KEARSNEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Grasshopper:
Or people just manage their time better these days. After seeing many greats playing and ending their careers I’d also make sure I get a couple of good marks to fall back tto something after my career ends or if my caareer doesn’t work out.
Seems the exams are so easy now everyone gets an A…….even 1st team rugga players who are spending most of their time training rather than studying. Not taking anything away from them as you can be bright and good at sport, but in the past there is no way you could get A’s training as much as the kids do these days. The Kriel brothers must be in the gym 2hrs a day to keep their physiques. They look like men bodybuilders….
@Griffon: And Rob Kamhoot with 5.
@Griffon: Quick glance showed Reegan Smith with 2, Christie with 3, Jesse K 1, Nic Muller – 5, Rett Pieterse with 1, Josh Rencken with 2.
@ Gungets : I heard M.Zondi got about 4 A’s. Hopefully he’ll do well at UCT this year with what ever course he does.
@BOG: Do you think I would be good at baiting?
@Gungets Tuft: Perhaps as “live bait” to capture lions?
@GreenBlooded: Thanks – she did hellovu well, my matric results would illustrate how little I was able to help her. Who knows, when she qualifies perhaps I can step up to driving game capture vehicles or something … hell .. maybe become a chopper pilot??
@Gungets Tuft: Major kudo’s on your daughter’s fantastic matric results mate. Best of luck to her in her future endeavours. I guess we can assume she will not become a partner in the tow-truck business?
@Grasshopper: The extra money for teaching at a Govt school in the UK is danger pay. A friend there left teaching about 5 years ago after being assaulted, once literally attacked with a chair, stabbed through the hand with a pen, kicked … and she was teaching 8 year olds!!!
Good on Northwood – not the first time they have had Top 10 students, I can recall at least 3 times in the last 10 years that this has been the case.
@PappaGaai: That would be an interesting statistic. How many First team boys (rugby, cricket, hockey) got .. say .. 4 distinctions or more. Brad McNeill from Glenwood got 7 distinctions in 2011. Saw his folks this afternoon – he has just creamed 1st year at UCT. Not shabby for a NSC boy
@Gungets, agreed. I have 3 sisters and a mother in teaching, 2 of which are Heads of Maths (one in the UK and the other at a private girls school in JHB starting with a K). Funny in the UK you get paid more to teach in a gov school as the job is harder (larger classes, difficult students etc). My sister is at a private not for the money but because the job is less stressful….
@Grasshopper: Didn’t mean that at all, just saying that it is easier to get an A at NSC than IEB, that’s all. No doubt that the College nine A student would probably have done the same at any school, any exam. But the person that sneaks 60% in NSC would not have done so at IEB for the same amount of work, will get a Degree pass and then struggle properly in first year to bridge the gap. Also completely agree that the teachers at government schools are every bit as good as private schools – my daughters school does not pay any more than government, but they are not the norm. A top teacher is more likely to go private as they earn more. Pure commercial reality. My daughters Maths teacher – the school got something like a 90% A pass for maths – is gone. With that sort of performance on her CV she can go anywhere, and has. Fantastic teacher – on BBM all hours, the girls could BBM her with a problem at 10pm or on a Sunday, she was always available. That sort of dedication generally gets recognised. Remember that the government is on a mission to prevent any extra payment for teachers by governing bodies, so the privates have a good chance of scooping the best teachers.
PS – this was typed at 1:30pm, just did nae get a chance to send it before I had to shoot off to a funeral. When I posted the College results last year it was in response to a number of postings about Westville being the best academic school in KZN. Over the last 15 years, perhaps. Last year – no. Fact. This year – not College’s year, I am still a little surprised that they had so few 6’s, but there you go. I do believe my statement was “I would be very, very surprised of they did not have at least 8 with 6 distinctions to match Northwood”. If my record of being a Northwood supporter here does not stand for itself then nobody has been paying attention.
About the cheerleading – Mr Star, you are the King Cheerleader. The extended Star family has been credited with the success of Michaelhouse, Hilton, Westville and even College. I believe your family founded College.
Mercury this am on the 2012 top 10 students in KZN: Is Northwood now into recruiting “Academic” boys as well? See they have two representatives in the top ten! Only boys school on that list!? Clever Rugby players for 2013 and beyond? Mmmmm…
@rugbyfan: If you do find additional info to that list of Rugby 15, let Nelio know about it. I did read somewhere that he invited OGs to do so. By the way, was 1984 not more or less in your era? I read on Greys FB that Francois Jonker, captain of that year, passed away on 17 December
@ Gungets- I think you should have put a smilie on it as to read it exactly as it is is a bit contradictory . To use your words” I will point out inaccuracies where I see them presented as fact.” Is that not what I was doing re your “speculation” that College would have the same number of achieving students as Northwood. And why bring up College in the first place and the need to balance the situation last year. Maybe that tutu is not as dusty as you think. I also think it is a touch arrogant to imply that you know my fears and views and that I feel the need to project them onto you. Almost as bad as the Freudian slip by using the term ” yapping” which implies small irritating dog. Lastly you are better than that gross generalisation about NSC kids. Trust me my friend 80% of success at Varsity is about attitude and that is surely not the perogative of only IEB students.
@rugbyfan: Hey flip two Grey Old Boys chatting here makes me wonder.
Hey Rugbyfan am i going to see you this year.
@BOG: Thanks i have it i just wanted the old Grey stats guru to confirm the detail i had which he has although there always seem to be some discrepencies between schools as he mentioned to me that some of the older records were not always 100% as Queenian asked me a view months ago why in 1936 Grey show they won 6-3 and Queens also show they won 6-3 when it turns out they actually played twice with one win a piece 6-3. So it gets a bit fussy with the older records as the records on Rugby15 site are not 100% there are is some missing info there which i seem to have got sorted out.
@rugbyfan: Likewise, The “B” in my name stands for “Baie”- the other 2 does not require too much guessing, but call me “oom” for short.(lol) The derbys in which GCB has participated over the years by the way, you can find at Rugby 15. Nelio de Sa (Greys Porra international) has the complete history. I saw elsewhere that you were looking for it.
@BOG: Good to see you on this site
@Gungets, hmmm that is indicating that these clever kids in the NSC might not be that clever, which maybe true for some but the top are just as clever as IEB top students. The exam standard maybe weak but the teaching can still be on a par if not better than at a private school. The kids can only write the exam put in front of them so get the ridiculous marks we are seeing now. Internal testing maybe far harder so it’s not accurate to say that NSC kids will struggle at University. In fact, many do very well and quite a bit better than the private school kids. I think when it comes to the average kid who would have got a C or D on IEB but got a B with NSC then they may struggle. The top 5 to 10% in NSC will be fine….In my day a school that got 10 A aggregate students was doing well, now it’s ten times that. I would guess that about 100 kids at Westville got A aggregates……crazy!
@star: There is a difference between hitting a nerve and getting on one. I feel no need to market College, they do just fine with the challenges of being in a declining town without me trotting out in a tutu with tassles to sing their praises. I will point out inaccuracies where I see them presented as fact. I will also try to not project my own views and fears as other peoples motives. Not putting a “smilie” on this, it should be read exactly as it is.
My daughter was not that upset about Onderstepoort – she was going to use it as a very protracted stepping stone into nature conservation. After a visit to the Vet Hospital there in July she had almost decided that it was not for her as it is so focused on domestic pets and animals. She has no interest in castrating dogs as a career, nor running around sorting out redwater in cows. She wants to work with wildlife and conservation so has chosen a BSC in biological sciences instead.
@BOG: I assume 2010???. My daughter got A’s for Maths, Bio, Geog (and Life O – but who counts that) and an adjusted down 78% for Physics (IEB thought there were too many A’s) so she was no slouch, but nowhere near good enough to compete with 7 A’s from the NSC candidates where no distinction is made. The rubber hits the road in Varsity where the NSC kids really start to struggle.
@star: What are you moaning about- both you and your wifes occupations are on the Australian Skilled Occupation List(SOL) All I can hope for, is that my son drags me along as an aged parent@Gungets Tuft: In 1910, a young lady who had 90 and 92% respectively for Maths and Science, was also refused entry at Onderstepoort, which produces approximately 100 vets per annum. More than 90 (%)of those, on average, are leaving the country.@QC86: Well done to the EC on this magnificent achievement. I envisage a flood of internationally acclaimed scientists coming from those esteemed institutions, Unitra, Walther Sisulu and Fort Hare Universities in the coming years. All social engineers, employable only by government.
@ Bog- Welcome back oldman. Glad to see you think so highly of me. What happened to the Chevy Knights last year as I could not help but notice their ranking at year end.
means. We get our newspaper delivered and I incorrecvtly assumed that was the same for everyone 
(There I go again). I am glad I was right about” one “thing’ and if I cross a line I would hope that the blog would put me in my place and I am sure you would want the same. Anyway here is to great year of school boy sport hopefully free of a bit of the contraversy of last year. Also I am sorry about your daughter. It is something that I am sure a lot of us parents will have to go through in the future.
@ Gungets- Obviously hit a nerve and I need to be educated in what
so proud to live in the Eastern Cape,just check out our results,worst of all they are all inflated by at least 15%
@star: Hopefully in the next year you will stop trying to provoke arguments. My reasons for not being that interested are stated, I saw no need to buy a newspaper to check NSC. My statements of how well College did last year were to balance the constant yapping about Westville’s supremacy in academics. If you want to know how College did – here … go your gums.
9 x A – 1
8 x A – 4
7 x A – 6
6 x A – 4
5 x A – 15
4 x A – 13
3 x A – 30
2 x A – 38
1 x A – 67
Right on one thing – NCS and IEB do not get different treatment for Univeristy entrance. My daughter was declined at Onderstepoort with her IEB results but would have been stellar in NSC and probably accepted – definitely accepted if she was BEE compliant. As a white girl she was competing for 15 spots allocated to white women.
@Gungets Tuft: I think that you have misunderstood me. I was referring to the declining standards in NSC and not IEB, and while I accept that we have always had “conversion” exams, as in the legal profession with different legal systems, this has not always been the case with the medical profession. There is definately an awareness abroad of declining standards.Not that the school standards in the US, where they talk of the “ilitirate school graduates”, is all that great. I heard that after 100 Vd Merwes migrated to Australia, it had a marked impact on the intelligence levels in both countries.@star: I could have given you that assessment just by reading your comments lol here@kcob: There is absolutely no question about it- IEB is of a much higher standard as the story of my son a few years ago, illustrates.
@ Gungets- Are you not too bothered by the NSC because College did not do as well as last year?
) and did a bit of digging. The reason was that I had a Dip Acc from Dbn while my wife had a honours from UNISA. They ranked SA ahead of DBN and a Honours ahead of a diploma. The reality could not be further from the truth where the attrition rate in Dip Acc was much higher(one of the hardest qualifications at UND) and the subsequent pass rate at Board was 100 % as opposed to UNISA’s 50%. With regard to the NSC and IEB my understanding is that there is only one certificate( with no comments column) and therefore using my personal experience could the person doing the NSC be rated higher( possibly incorrectly) as he/she will have better results ( More A’s) as the exams are easier. If anything what came out for me was that the line between perception and reality was very blurred and we must not con ourselves that we will be able to control or fully understand these issues.
We should all be concerned with how we are perceived internationally but it is not always as it should be. I remember when my wife and I went to get assessed for Aus and my wife got more points than me. As we were both CAs I was a bit confused( and a litttle bitter
Hi guys. Are some of you saying NSC is more difficult than the IEB exams, or that the IEB is less recognized than the NSC?
I always though that the IEB was more highly recognized? Interesting.
@ALL, see top schools here; http://matric.ewn.co.za/
@Griffon: I stand corrected then – last year they said they were not going to announce it. I have not bothered too much with the NSC because my daughter was IEB.
@BOG: In my year, many years ago, the top SA student was a College boy who had also won the SA Math and Science Olympiads. In those old days he got 8 A’s and 100% for a few subjects so it is not impossible. To be quite honest, I am not sure about the declining standards at IEB, although if you do not do AP Maths then you will not be accepted to any US or UK varsity where maths is a requirement because our normal matrics (IEB and NSC) does not cover what A-Levels does, differencial calculus (I think!!).
The way Universities are measured – and the world ranking decided – has nothing to do with the quality of the teaching or curriculum but rather with the amount of research that is published. Our Top 6 varsities turn out graduates that are employable anywhere, especially if they go on to honours and Masters. My daughter has an open offer that I will fund an honours and masters at any university she chooses, anywhere in the world.
It is normal to have “conversion” exams. An architect mate of mine has just arrived in Australia and must do a conversion – brings him up to date with their legislation and safety etc. He had work in 2 weeks (at 50 years of age!!) and is already a Boat Person, bought the boat, the 1100 bike and all the toys. South Africans are very sought after due to their work ethic. Lawyers {makes sign of the cross into screen} need it as well, so why not doctors?
The architects son’s have creamed it in Australia. The oldest was accepted into varsity in a heartbeat after getting 6 A’s and a B last year at IEB and has just got all A’s for his first exams (was told his results placed him in the top 2% in Aus). The youngest who was “average” at Clifton has gone into the “gifted” class in Grade 11 in Brisbane and is absolutely styling. Maybe Aussies are just thick but he is streets ahead of his “peers” there. The family is quite dismissive of Aussie intellect …
@Gungets Tuft: I think that the difference between IEB and NSC is even greater than 15%. Several years ago, my son, then in Gr 11 in a private school, did the previous years NSCs matric exams and found it very easy going and he was not too keen in the academic area. They were therefore AT LEAST a year ahead, academically speaking.Until recently, Canada accepted medical doctors from SA without restriction. My nephew, who completed his mrdical studies in 2011, will be given restricted registration and must sit an exam after his arrival in the country. What I am trying to say is this- other countries are very aware of the declining standards in SA.
Passing is good, but how many can write their names and count to ten? When you read about a “learner” who got 100% in three subjects, you know that there has been some “funny business” Lets see which schools(as a group) are in the top 10 for Maths and Science. Hopefully Grey will be there yet again.
@ Gungets : They announced the countrys top student. A girl from the Limpopo, she got 100% for Maths,Physics, and Accounting
@beet: The Education department will not publish something like that – they will not even publish the names of the top SA student, they restrict it to Provinces now.
Hell, Cosas is marching to stop the publishing of results at all. There can only be one reason why …
Makes no diffs anyway – the privates and Govts cannot even be compared as the exams are different. The IEB exams are probably 15% tougher – know this from experience, had my daughter write IEB and nephew NSC this year. Exams are way different in difficulty.
@star: Relax bru – I like Northwood second most after College, I reckon after ou NWKnight I am their biggest fan. Their academics have always been good, Jordan had his faults but being an educator was not one of them.
Tjaa, counted 3 with 6 distinctions, lots with 5 who will be disappointed, or not because 5 is still a damn fine achievement. Totals passes is College – 224, Glenwood – 224, Westville – 219, Northwood – 211, DHS – 153. No indication of failures as failures are not published.
@ Beet : A friend sent me the list. My best guess would be the Daily News as iv checked the Mercury doesn’t have a list. (The list is the top 10 schools with most 6 or more distinction students)
@ Beet : A friend sent me the list. My best guess would be the Daily News as iv checked the Mercury doesn’t have a list.
@Griffon: Where did you find the Top 10 for KZN?
@ Beet : I’m not sure if they make 1. But a good indicator would to look at all the Number 1 Schools in each province, and compile a top 10 with number 1 being the school with the highest average, or most distinctions
@Griffon: Where is this list of Top SA Academic schools. Nothing beats a ranking system
@ Gungets-Give Northwood a break
and be very surprized. I only counted 2 with 6 distinctions for College( therefore 15 boys with 6 or more distinctions) who also had more students writting than both Northwood and Westville.
Don’t know the College full results but 13 boys got 7 distinctions or more, the head boy Jesse Filaferro got 9. 1 with 9, 5 with 8, 7 with 7.
I would be very, very surprised of they did not have at least 8 with 6 distinctions to match Northwood.
On the academic side, I see there were only 2 boys schools in the KZN top 10 of schools with most pupils achieving 6 or more Distinctions. Those being Westville, Fourth(23 boys) and Northwood 5th(21 boys). Welldone to the 2 schools
@Grasshopper: Yeah Hopper. I Think everyone is nervous about being good on paper. I believe statistically sides with many stayers have suffered at the hands of being too full of themselves, or being placed on pedestals and all the teams wanting to knock them off. The. Pressure gets to the youngsters I think and theybecome a little like deer in the headlights when the going gets tough. We forget these are lighties and pressure can be an assassin for good teams. I think GW could have experienced a bit of this this last year.
I’m however glad to hear the boys seem up for the challenge of the big games, but humbly so, as in they are feeling honored tone playing some of these schools. I just hope they an stay the course, each does their job and they will do ok.
The GW game at KC this year will be nothing short of a cracker. A good clean fixture would be awesome.i just get really worked up whenthegames turn a little dirty, which Is a little rich as I don’t think I was the softest / cleanest bloke on the pitch.
Later.
@KCOB, yep Kearsney will be joining the big league this year with some tough fixtures. It’s the perfect year to give it a go considering the potential your side has. Two SA schools forwards and some other great talent would indicate a potentially great year. But only time will tell and we don’t want to put too much pressure on these kids…..Glenwood learnt that lesson in 2012. Going to be a humdinger up at Kearsney in 2013 vs the hoppers…we going to want to revenge that close loss on Dixons…
@Beet, totally agree. There needs to be some regulation here and schools or under19 sport should always be amateur. How can we have kids earning money from sport when they can’t even vote, drive or drink officially. Our wonderful traditions etc will be lost which will be very sad. We are at a tipping point now so lets hope the big 10 schools headmasters meet and maybe draw up an agreement that gives strict guidelines on recruitment, bursaries etc…
@Grasshopper: Agreed, Glenwood have take KZN SBRugby to the next level. I think all the others hooks have then struggled to mirror the professionalism introduced by the hoppers. I think 2012was a little bit of that evening out after these last sixorso years.
I just really hope that all the schools but behind them the slugging and actually compete with one another. KZN can’t afford not to have the derby games like Westville vs GWD and DHS vs GWD.
KC will have their work cutout this year with some seriously strong inter-province match-ups, some thing College and GWd and Westville have done for sometime now…eeeish. It’s gonnabe tough going.
@KCOB, apologies yes well done to all involved!
@Grasshopper: Little irritated Grasshopper; it’s always about the money and the fees with you! Can’t you simply congratulate with always having to have a BUT or something sinister! A well done would have been more palatable, yes?
@Grasshopper: 2% is probably 1 person. My daughters school had a 98% varsity pass. 1 girl got a diploma pass after being really ill for 6 months. It happens. Her school had 46 candidates, 114 distinctions in there and 90 B’s. School will not get a mention because there were no 8 distinction girls.
Well done to the Kearsney boys and all other private schools, you would hope they would get good results when it costs over 100k per annum. What surprised me was that there was 98% pass rate, what the heck were the 2% who failed doing other than wasting their parents hard earned money….
@star: Yes, so many people have social media’ed and emailed me a me those KC academic results. 100% pass rates have been done before, I’m waiting for the school that achieves the 101% pass rate. I’m thinking straight after the naughtiest matric student at a school has written his final exam, find a reason to expel him but claim the matric result and with it the accolades that go with having the highest matric pass rate in SA history
Jokes! Excellent results by the Kearsney matrics.
@ Beet- The most important one is Westville v Kearsney . Played 53 Won 26 Lost 26 Drawn 1. Cannot get closer than that. Also I enjoyed the Headline in today’s paper Kearsney is King referring to the IEB results where Kearsney came top in the province. Well done to the Boys who took out some serious Girl schools( and that is not meant to be sexist in any way
)