THOHOYANDOU – Although Mbilwi Secondary School did not obtain a 100% pass in the 2001 Grade 12 examinations like they have been doing during the past years, they still have something to be proud of. One of their learners, Tsireledzo Mushoma, is the top learner in the province.

She received three trophies for her achievement during a ceremony after the announcement of the results.

Tsireledzo obtained the following symbols: Tshivenda A, Afrikaans A, English A, Physical Science A, Biology A, Geography A and Mathematics B. She was followed by Ettienne Gerard Terblanche of Pietersburg High School.

The other leaners who are in the province's top twenty are Salome Knoetze (Nylstroom), Mathew Georgie (Taxila), Wilmari Bakker (Louis Trichardt), Claasen Nadia (Frans du Toit), Euclid Baloyi (Khanyisa), Kalla Naazneen (Taxila), Vanessa Joubert (Piet Potgieter), Jacobus Bekker (Ben Vorster), Werner Van Wyk (Pietersburg), Jacobus Alberts (Louis Trichardt), Jenny Rabie (Ben Vorster), Jansen Hendricks (Pietersburg), Petrus Swart (Frikkie Meyer), Phatutshedzo Madima (Mbilwi), Thomas Lukose (Taxila), Pieter Muller (Piet Potgieter), Theodore Nemaname (Mbilwi) and Emily Lategan of Merensky High School.

The top ten best performing schools are Harry Oppenheimer 100%, Glen Cowie 100%, Pietersburg 100%, Thengwe 99,25%, Mbilwi 98,28%, St Bedes 97,18%, Thohoyandou 96,94%, St Brendans 96,19%, SJ van der Merwe 92,66%, and Capricorn 92,57%,

Schools that have shown a great improvement in the 2001 examinations are Kgokodibeng, NP Mathabela Sec School, Naledi ya Meso Sec School, Mogudi, Mahlane High School, Kweledi Sec School, Abram Serote Sec School, Thepanang Chiuloane Sec School, Matsimelel High School, Machaye High School, Nakgwadi High School, Mogorosho High School, Jubana Sec School, Nthlaveni High School and Mmiditsi Sec School.

It was reported by the Government Communication and Information System that female matric learners outperformed male counterparts during the exams. This is according to this year's improved 3,8 percent matric results.

Although female learners who wrote the Grade 12 examinations outnumbered their male counterparts by 10 percent (55 percent to 45 percent), they outshone them when it came to collecting distinctions despite recording the highest failure rate as compared to male learners. According to the figures released by education authorities, a significant number (48 percent) of males passed without merits and distinctions compared to the females (45,5 percent), despite outnumbering the males by 3,5 percent in failure rates.

When it came to passing with endorsement, females were just one percent (14,6 percent) below the males (15,6 percent), with the country's male learners taking a lead in the overall pass rate by scoring 63, 6 percent, just 3,5 percent above the girls' 60,1 percent overall performance rate.

The results meant that of the overall 15, 1 percent of learners who passed with distinctions, girls registered more distinctions than boys.