Hard Work Pays Off

On Wednesday 11th November Helen Van Rhijn Primary school held their end of year diploma ceremony. The head girl who is leaving the primary school before Christmas welcomed everyone and thanked the sponsors, teachers and parents for their assistance and guidance.
Within the opening speeches the school’s ups and downs were reported on. The learner enrolment is supposed to be 453, but currently it is 407 so the school has experienced a decrease in this area, but it’s mainly been due to the recession and families moving away to find jobs elsewhere. The teacher to learner ratio is lower than it should be also, and at present there are only 12 teachers and 1 principal, being Mrs C. Andrews, at the school, and two teachers are leaving at the end of this academic year.
The academic achievement last year was great, as the pass rate was 91%, however the beginning of this academic year was not so successful but it has picked up as the terms have progressed. The exams that the children will take next year will be regional papers for the first time, so the students can be compared to their peers in the Karas Region.
In extracurricular activities the school has done very well, competing at regional standard in athletics. There is also a soccer team and a netball team. The school also took part in a sports day with all the other Luderitz Primary schools which was very successful. Due to a lack of funds extra activities such as school trips have had to be reduced slightly, but there is a thriving school choir that will compete next academic year if all goes well.
The new school complex which many locals have been wondering about will be occupied by the beginning of next year, and equipment and furniture is currently being moved there so the school is ready for learners as soon as the school year starts in January. The new school, near the magistrate’s court, has been empty due to a lack of funds, signing of contracts, finishing touches and handing the premises over to the Ministry of Education. This has all been dealt with now and the property can now be utilised.
There were many learners who attended the ceremony as there was a lot who received their diplomas for working so hard throughout the year. In order to move onto the next grade they had to achieve over 75% in the first, second and third term if they were in lower primary, and over 75% in just the first and second term if they were in upper primary.
In grade 1 nineteen learners received diplomas, in grade 2 there were 17, grade 3 had 14 high achievers out of a big class of 50 and the final grade in lower primary, grade 4 had 22 learners who received diplomas. In grade 5, seven learners passed with over 75%, grade 6 there were seventeen, and grade 7 had ten.
Lots of high achievers received more than one certificate and the cheers and whoops from the audience were huge; it was obviously filled with a lot of proud parents and families. Nearly all the learners who received certificates attended, all looking well turned out and very proud to be there. In addition to their diploma certificates, the best learners from grade 1-7 also received generous donations from Marco Fishing and Scorpion Zinc, in the form of a trophy and a goody bag. Namport also donated prizes to the best learners at maths in grades 5, 6, and 7, and at English in Grade 6. Awards were also given to the Dux learners in grades 4 and 7 by Seaflower, who were the most outstanding students.
The evening closed with the school board chairperson thanking the children, the sponsors and the parents: The sponsors for their generous gifts and donations, the parents for caring so much about their child’s education, as well as donating refreshments for the end of the night and the children for their consistent effort.•