KARIEGA – Two secondary schools in KwaNobuhle recorded strong performances in the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations, with both improving on their previous year’s results and achieving pass rates above provincial and national averages.
V.M. Kwinana Technical Secondary School recorded a 96.4% pass rate, while Solomon Mahlangu Secondary School achieved 92.8%, improving from 87.5% in the previous academic year. Both schools operate as no-fee institutions and serve communities where access to educational resources is often limited.
V.M. Kwinana Technical Secondary School
V.M. Kwinana principal Diliza Resha said the school was satisfied with its 2025 results after meeting the performance target set by the Department of Education. “We are happy with the results because we were given a target by the Department of Education and we achieved it,” Resha said.
He said the school’s performance was the result of sustained commitment from educators and consistent planning throughout the academic year. “Our educators are very committed to education. They are always at school, and their level of understanding is very high,” he said.
Resha said the school’s teachers also assisted other model schools in the district through teacher-to-teacher support initiatives. “Our teachers also assist other schools. The level of teacher assistance in other schools is very high,” he said.
The school has entered into a memorandum of agreement with Eastern Cape Midlands College, which assists learners with practical components of technical subjects. “We have a memorandum of agreement with Eastern Cape Midlands College, and McCarthy assists our learners with practicals,” Resha said.
According to Resha, the school’s 2025 results were above both provincial and national averages, and educators were satisfied with the outcome. “Our results are above national and provincial levels, and teachers are happy with the marks,” he said.
Looking ahead, Resha said the school is aiming to further improve its results in 2026, based on the current Grade 11 performance. “For 2026, our target is 98%. We are hopeful for 100%, but even 93% would still make us happy,” he said.
Resha said learner discipline played a role in the school’s performance, despite the absence of preliminary examinations and academic camps in the previous year. “We did not have prelims last year and we did not have camps. Learners had to adapt, and discipline played a big role,” he said.
One of the school’s top achievers, Asive Gojela, completed eight subjects and achieved five distinctions. Gojela has been accepted to study Engineering at Stellenbosch University.
Resha said the school continues to make use of diagnostic assessments to identify learning gaps early. “We use diagnostic assessments to see where learners are struggling so that we can support them early,” he said.
He added that the school has made a sponsorship fund available to support its academic programmes. “We have a sponsorship fund, and it is not just about money. We also welcome tutors and other forms of support,” Resha said.
V.M. Kwinana Secondary School is seeking volunteer tutors to assist with its extra classes programme. For more information, interested individuals can contact the school principal on 081 047 2415.
Solomon Mahlangu Secondary School
Solomon Mahlangu Secondary School principal Mncedi Mtengwana said the school was satisfied with its improvement from 87.5% in 2024 to 92.8% in 2025, particularly given the school’s high learner enrolment. “We are happy with the 92.8%, especially because we have a high enrolment,” Mtengwana said.
He added that the school opened a week earlier than the official start of the academic year to give learners additional preparation time. “We opened a week earlier to prepare learners. That helped us to set the tone for the year,” he said.
Mtengwana said diagnostic reports were central to the school’s planning process. “Analysis is very important. We use diagnostic reports and analyse results every quarter so that we can adjust our teaching,” he said.
At Solomon Mahlangu, teachers are expected to take leadership roles beyond the classroom and work collaboratively. “Our teachers are leaders. Teamwork is essential if you want to sustain improvement,” Mtengwana said.
Parental involvement was identified as a key factor in the school’s performance. “Communication between the school and parents has improved. Some parents even assist with extra classes,” he said.
The school did not make use of academic camps, with Mtengwana saying they were not viewed as a long-term solution. “We don’t believe camps help in the long term. We focus on continuous support instead,” he said.
The school reinstated evening study sessions, commonly referred to as cross nights, as part of its academic support strategy. “We went back to cross nights to give learners more study time,” Mtengwana said.
Solomon Mahlangu recorded an increase in the number of Bachelor passes, with 118 learners achieving Bachelor-level results in 2025. “We are focusing on both quality and quantity. We had 118 Bachelor passes,” Mtengwana said.
He added that the school had increased enrolment in mathematics and science subjects. “We now have more maths and science learners, and we are preparing them properly,” he said.
Mtengwana said the school was not focused on competing with other institutions. “We are not competing with anyone. We are building a winning culture,” he said.
Looking ahead, Mtengwana said the school aims to improve its pass rate further in the coming year. “We want to improve this year. Our target is 98%. Anything like 80% is not acceptable for us,” he said.
He added that the school’s broader goal was to contribute positively to the community. “We want to help our community and reduce unemployment in the long term,” Mtengwana said.
Mtengwana said analysis, teamwork and communication remained central to the school’s approach, adding that the school continues to engage past learners, including members of the Class of 2016, through platforms such as WhatsApp to motivate current learners.
Both V.M. Kwinana Technical Secondary School and Solomon Mahlangu Secondary School reported that learner discipline, educator commitment and structured academic planning were central to their 2025 outcomes. Despite operating under quintile 3 conditions, both schools indicated plans to further improve results in the 2026 academic year.
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