Isilimela High School in Langa can boast that it has two of the smartest maths pupils in the province after the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) acknowledged Busiswa Tasana and Khanya Mtamzeli.
The two, both in Grade 12, recently attended a camp, along with about 250 other pupils from around the province, at the Cape Academy of Maths, Science and Technology in Tokai. Busiswa, 18, said the pupils – from different schools and cultural backgrounds – had been required to write tests and were pitted against each other.
Being given a certificate, she said, was proof that pupils from township schools have what it takes to compete with pupils from schools with more resources. However, she added, they needed to be given the tools to reach their full potential. She said last year she had been the top achiever in geography and among the top maths and English pupils at her school.
“I want to become a chartered accountant,” she told Vukani. “I want to see myself becoming a beacon of hope to other children in my township. Dedication and hard work are the key ingredients in success. I believe that nothing can stop a dedicated person from achieving their dreams.
“We should not be afraid to dream big and beyond our life challenges. I have no words to describe how I feel,” she said.
Khanya said in everything that he does, he ensures that he puts in more effort than others and applauded his teachers for providing them with quality teaching and grilling them so that they became better pupils.
He said their achievements were largely due to the hard work of their teachers.
As for his future, Khanya said he planned to study electrical engineering.
Principal Isaac Sijula said this was not the first time that their pupils had been recognised at the academic camp, which, he said, illustrated that the school was heading in the right direction.
