‘A key that unlocks the future’

Ngoni Chiyangwa gives his first maths lesson to his 2013 Grade 12 class at Lavela Secondary School in Zola, Soweto. A pupil last year passed with 100 percent. Picture: Paballo Thekiso January 15 2013 at 08:47am Comment on this story INSLA Ngoni Chiyangwa gives his first maths lesson to his 2013 Grade 12 class at Lavela Secondary School in Zola, Soweto. A pupil last year passed with 100 percent. Picture: Paballo Thekiso Mbonani Nkululeko’s 100 percent maths mark was always his teacher’s goal. From early on in his high school career, he had identified the youngster from Zola as “100 percent material”. “He has made me very proud,” says maths teacher Ngoni Chiyangwa of Lavela Secondary School in Zola, Soweto. “The 100 percent result was always the plan. The thing was that he never got 100 percent, from Grade 10 to 12, but because of his ability – he was always far above the cut – we had to polish him. “He would lose four marks out of 150 in his tests. It was a discrepancy – those four marks – and we had to really motivate him. He was always 100 percent material and a hard-working student. “He would prove that whatever he got wrong this time, next time he wouldn’t. He kept us busy. After he would write an exam, he wanted the paper to be marked by tomorrow. He would say, ‘Where did I go wrong, sir?’ He could improve and was always above distinction.” At the start of every year, Chiyangwa tells his pupils from the impoverished neighbourhood that maths is the key to unlocking their future. “The learners need to understand what they want to be in life, what they want to become. If you’re looking at job opportunities, maths is key. So it’s like you ask them: ‘I will give you a key right now, what do you do with it? The door here is locked. You are supposed to unlock it.’ That’s the kind of motivation we do. Maths is not hard. You must tell them what you expect them to do. “Once they keep focused, it’s just a matter of reminding them now and again, to remember this is our journey and this is our plan. I always tell them with maths, you work out. You can get 101 percent because of your reasoning capacity. In maths, you use what you know, the basics.” For his school, more distinctions are on the cards. “We can get it, why not? This time there’ll be more. When you become a teacher you influence life, and aspire learners, not only inspire. You give them a sense of what they want to be and to achieve. You make a positive contribution in their lives. It’s one of those careers where you build personalities. “We make learners have a sense of changing the face of Zola, the face of Soweto. We always tell them, ‘You can change the face of your family, therefore you’re changing the face of society’. When you do good, society talks about you. This is the kind of inspiration our learners require. “Mbonani came from a poor family and he was struggling. But we tell our learners there is always an end to that. And it is you. You can put a landmark behind your name.” – Sheree Bega Saturday Star - - - COMMENTS BY SONNY - - Let's hope this student has success after matric. Assured of a bursary in a tertiary institution and a well paying job thereafter. Not all BEE candidates deserve "Handouts!" Good luck to all the youth of SA, irrespective of colour or creed!