AWAKHIWE Kona calls his six distinctions achieved out of seven subjects a breakthrough.
“I’ve always done fairly well at school but never like this… this is a breakthrough for me,” he said.
In addition to this, the 18-year-old, who went to Lobone Secondary School in Mofolo Central, Soweto, was also among the province’s top performers from priority schools.
The Gauteng Education Department targeted 331 schools with a matric pass rate below 70 percent as priority schools last year.
Awakhiwe said it was this intervention that helped him.
“The study camp the school sent us to just before the final exams helped a lot. We were taught by examiners on how to approach exam questions and we attended classes from 6am to midnight. Actual classes ended at 6pm but we asked for the extra time,” he said.
The extra hours paid off because Awakhiwe scored full marks for physical science
Awakhiwe is now set to study at Wits University where he’ll study towards becoming a mathematical statistician.