By Johnathan Paoli
Expectant learners, joined by parents, teachers and education officials, have celebrated the country’s top achievers ahead of the release of the matric results.
Gathered at the MTN Innovation Centre in Johannesburg on Monday, Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and Deputy Minister Reginah Mhaule joined the matriculants at a ministerial breakfast.
The event, hosted by MTN, celebrated the matriculants, despite their results only being released on Tuesday.
Pupils, parents, officials and the media mingled with an air of excitement to celebrate the top 39 learners of the country.
MTN CEO Bradley Swanepoel welcomed the learners, and said the aim of the event was to recognise their achievements and hard work.
He said investment in education was the core focus of MTN’s foundation to ensure access to quality education and the training of tomorrow’s leaders.
Mhaule praised the learners as a class on its own, in light of being “the Covid generation”.
The deputy minister thanked the parents and communities who supported the learners during the challenges of embarking on high school during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Your children carry the whole basic education system on their shoulders. Their achievements will remain forever in the history books,” she said.
Gwarube similarly praised the matriculants as well as teachers for helping cultivate learning during difficult times.
“Teachers are truly the backbone of our education system, they are the bulwark, the last line of defence in our system,” Gwarube said.
She stressed that education was something that continued beyond the classroom, and that the top achievers signified the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
“Learners, we are here to celebrate your brilliance. The spotlight belongs to you. Many of you began your high school journey in 2020, at the start of the pandemic and navigated a world in which learning and teaching became exceedingly difficult,” Gwarube said.
She highlighted the importance of the Special Ministerial Award, which would be awarded to two learners for overcoming extreme challenges and achieving immense success.
Gwarube stressed that the inequality of the country would only be undone if the department could ensure that learners left with a better potential for their future than when they came in.
She reminded the matriculants about the value of hard work, perseverance and integrity, and called on them to be leaders who were innovative, hard working and ethical.
“As you take on the new chapter in your life, be an ethical leader, and let what you learned at home and at school be your guiding light,” Gwarube said.
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