The De Montfort Catholic School presented awards to their top pupils and bade farewell to Grade 7 learners during a ceremony last Friday.

The principal, Mr John Tamakloe, said the aim of the school was to make sure that the pupils became responsible adults. “There is no other weapon that we can use, except equipping them with education."

He further urged community members to contribute to the development of the education of their kids. "Educators and pupils cannot make it on their own. We also need assistance from the outside world, because joint efforts will bring good results to the education of our children.”

The guest speaker, Mr Nelis Coetsee of the Vhembe Department of Education, told learners to “work like a slave today and live like a master in future.” He said that learners must regard the final examination as the climax of their school days. “The examination will determine your future, it will determine whether you will become a doctor, an engineer or something similar or whether you will become a hobo, a gardener or a housewife for the rest of your life,” he said.

He said that when the results were released, some would be weeping, while hardworking students would be shouting in happiness. “To those of you who are spending sleepless nights studying, I say continue doing so, but if you’ve not yet started today, you still have time,” he added.