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January 16 to January 22, 2013
Disillusionment must not destroy faith
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Keeping those New Year’s resolutions
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No 4808
The life and legacy of Dorothy Day
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Matric: Catholic schools shine again By MAtHieBeLA SeBOtHOMA
Mmadikgetho Komane of Glen Cowie Girls High School, a Catholic school in Limpopo, was South Africa’s best-performing pupil in the Class of 2012 writing the National Senior Certificate examinations.
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WO Catholic learners in Limpopo have changed the negative image of the province’s education system after 2012 saw many learners in the province studying without textbooks. Education minister Angie Motshekga announced that Mmadikgetho Komane was the top learner in state-funded schools in South Africa. Ms Komane was a learner at Glen Cowie High School, formerly known as Guardian Angels College. She obtained 100% in maths, physical science and accounting. She passed the other four subjects with distinctions. She will study actuarial science at Wits University in Johannesburg. Among others, she was visited by Limpopo premier Cassel Mathale and Mathole Motshekga, African National Congress chief whip in the national assembly. Number two in the province was a student at another Catholic school: Kamogelo Mamashela of Pax High School. Mr Mamashela got 100% in maths, science and geography. He attributed his success to Sunday Mass, obedience to parents and teachers, and dedication to studies. “I am not a partying type,” said the high-achiever who has been accepted as a medical student at the University of Cape Town. Catholic schools in South Africa have seen some outstanding results in the 2012 matric examinations with a number of schools making significant improvements in their overall results. While the Catholic Institute of Education was stillocessing the resukts of Catholic schools across the country, it was apparent that the results in most Catholic schools again exceeded the national average. “As with the past few years, our Catholic schools for the most part score significantly higher than the national average, in spite of significant challenges and situations particularly in the poorer resourced areas of our country,” said Bishop Kevin Dowling, liaision bishop for education (see next week’s issue for a full interview with Bishop Dowling). This is the 15th consecutive year that Veritas College in Springs has achieved a 100%
Chanei Parumaul was the top-performing matriculant at St Henry’s Marist College in Durban. She passed with an aggregate of 88%, earning six distinctions over 90% and placed in the top 1% in two subjects. Ms Parumaul is seen here with her parents, Parlin and Narvi Parumaul, and college principal Rene van Zyl. pass rate. Among the school’s 45 matric candidates they earned 50 distinctions; and every matric student achieved a degree or diploma pass. Veritas’s top achiever is Keona Moodley who obtained nine distinctions. She has applied to study medicine. Jonty de Freitas achieved five distinctions, despite his mother passing away only days before he wrote his first examination.
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acred Heart College in in Observatory, Johannesburg, also achieved a 100% pass rate, with all matriculants qualified to follow tertiary studies. The school was particularly happy with its aberage of 70% in English—“2% above the average of all independent schools writing
IEB [examinations], despite the fact that English is not the home language of nearly half of our students.” Sacred Heart’s top student was Michael Van Niekerk, with ten distinctions. Out of 51 learners at Christian Brothers College (CBC) in Pretoria, 42 passed with university entrance while eight passed with tertiary entrance qualification. The school did exceptionally well in maths and science with a total of 10 distinctions Headmaster Peter Ross said the school is happy about the results. “They are in keeping with what we expected of the group as a whole,” he said. “The success is due to an ongoing approach of hard work on both the part of the pupils and the staff.” He encourages parents to consider
Catholic education for their children. “Catholic education is much more than matric results. We create a safe atmosphere where pupils can be their best,” he said. St Henry’s Marist College in Durban maintained its long record of achieving a 100% pass rate, with 98% of the Marist college’s matriculants gaining admittance to university study. Marist Brothers College in Linmeyer, Johannesburg, also had a 100% pass with 81 university entrances. The school had a total of 129 distinctions. Their top learner got nine distinctions. Principal Gary Michael Norton attributes the success “to a good work ethic developed by the school, dedicated and committed educators and consistent efforts by the learners”. He said the “ethos of a Catholic school helps to develop a conscientious, diligent young adult who will hopefully contribute positively to society. The culture of a Catholic school is to work hard, be committed to all one does and to strive to do one’s best.” Fr Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, former deputy minister of education, praised Catholic schools for their discipline and focus. “The Church has always prioritised quality education” he said. “The success of Catholic education should inspire many schools in our country that hard work is rewarded.” A recent tertiary graduate, Sibongile Mogale of Pretoria West parish, who has earned a bachelor of technology degree and is now working for the National Prosecution Authority, has a tip for those starting their university studies: “Start early with studying and befriend your books.”
Nigerian pres wants religious leaders to help solve crises
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IGERIAN President Goodluck Jonathan has urged religious leaders to mould the characters of their followers to help stop the current crises facing the country. He also noted that Christianity and Islam—the country’s two major religions— did not preach violence, and those who kill should not be considered religious. “We all know that no religion preaches or encourages violence and hate. Both the two major religions preach love and peaceful co-existence,” the president said at a Mass to celebrate Cardinal John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan’s recent elevation to cardinal and the 30th anniversary of his episcopal ordination. During the Mass, Cardinal Onaiyekan condemned killing in the name of religion and warned that Nigeria was fast attracting the negative image of a nation of religious violence. He urged Nigerians to understand the inclusiveness of God’s grace to all people, saying that “any God that promotes the killing of innocent people should not be worthy of our worship”. Mr Jonathan called on Nigerians to avoid
People attend a memorial service in Madalla, Nigeria, for victims of a suicide bomb attack on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital, Abuja. (Photo: Afolabi Sotunde, Reuters/CNS) violence and embrace dialogue as a means of settling disputes. “The Church, the government and the political actors have the same responsibilities, and we believe that the Church is at the centre of society building,” he said. “Some of the challenges we face today are because of the characters our people have. If the Church moulds the people, especially starting from the children, Nigeria will be a
better place,” Mr Jonathan said. He said Pope Benedict’s elevation of Cardinal Onaiyekan helped promote interreligious harmony in Nigeria and reconciliation among all religious groups in Nigeria. He described the Abuja cardinal as a humble man with a great vision and learning who had fully dedicated himself to the service of God. “I see in his appointment a recognition for those who work and toil for peace like him and for reconciliation among men,” Mr Jonathan said. Nigeria’s population of 160 million people is roughly divided between Christians and Muslims. The international watchdog Human Rights Watch reports more than 2 800 people have died in fighting in the largely Muslim North since the Islamic sect Boko Haram launched an uprising against the government in 2009. Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics said that in 2012, despite the country’s oil revenues, almost 100 million Nigerians lived in poverty, living on less than $1 per day. In 2012, Transparency International ranked Nigeria’s public sector the 35th most corrupt out of 176 countries.—CNS
Fr Nel Matlala CSS appreciates a gift from a parishioner at his tenth anniversary of priesthood celebrations in his home parish of St Peter Claver in Mamelodi, Pretoria. He is the first Stigmatine priest to work in the diocese of Rustenburg. One of his communities is Marikana where police shot striking miners at Lonmin last August. (Photo: Mathiebela Sebothoma)