Matric 2024 | How remote Limpopo school obtained a 92.1% pass rate

Hanyani Secondary School, located in a remote village outside Thohoyandou in Limpopo, used to be one of the worst-performing schools in the country, but for the 2024 matric results it obtained a 92.1% pass rate. 

According to school principal Thifhelimbilu Ndou, this is a first in the history of the school, which has an enrolment of just under 500 learners. 

In 2023 teachers, school management and communities around the school were left wondering what could they do better as they believed they had done all they could to improve the situation. In that year, the school obtained a 57% pass rate. This year, however, the school achieved an increase of 35.1%. 

This remarkable turnaround is credited to the collaborative efforts of the school advisory board, the principal, the staff at Hanyani Secondary School and the University of Johannesburg's (UJ) transformative UJ for Societal Impact project.

The initiative, which dates back to 2014, addresses critical infrastructure needs in the remote villages of Gwakwani, Matatani and Mbodi, situated between Thohoyandou and Musina. The project focuses on delivering sustainable solutions in energy, water, connectivity and education, directly contributing to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

UJ collaborated with the South African Jewish Board of Deputies to launch the Tshumisano Learning Centre in 2023. The state-of-the-art learning facility at Hanyani Secondary School is equipped with computers, books and updated learning materials to engage learners and teachers.

The facility boasts a satellite for uninterrupted internet access and solar-powered lights. Spearheaded by UJ’s faculty of engineering and the built environment (Febe), this initiative has revolutionised learning and teaching in the region. 

“This year we achieved 92.1% compared to last year’s 57% pass rate. We are grateful to UJ for the interventions and assistance they have given to the school. The impact is evident in the results,” said Ndou.

The school achieved a 100% pass rate in physical science and 84.6% in mathematics, a feat that seemed a distant dream just a few years ago. 

“We have performed very well, and I can’t recall the school achieving more than this in its history. As the head of the school, I am excited like never before,” said Ndou.

Most of the learners who attend the school are usually from poor backgrounds and child-headed families, and the dropout rate was very high, he said. 

“You find that learners are remaining at home alone, without parents and no food. Some of them are just dropping out to go to work at the farms, and because of the distance we have learners who are from Gwakwani who are walking about 6km daily.”

Because of the distance, most of them end up dropping out of school, he said. The school serves a cluster of villages stretching over a radius of about 15km. Many young people in the villages were not motivated about the future because they did not know the options available to them after high school.

UJ said the learning and media centre has instilled hope. Learners can now study into the night using solar-powered lights, research past exam papers online, complete homework and apply to higher education institutions.

“We have come so far from where we were before. We have done so very well … this is good, this is precious, this is wonderful. We want to truly thank UJ for helping us. The improvement in the results has motivated the learners and the teachers. We are here because of you and for that we are grateful,” said Ndou. 

Executive dean of Febe Prof Daniel Mashao said it has not been easy launching a project at a place that is so remote.

“We are so pleased to see our work making a positive impact. We hope the school continues to be a beacon of hope,” he said. 

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