Dr Pinky Mrwetyana congratulated the class of 2016 for giving Free State a good name in the sector at the annual Well-Done Function held in Boet Troskie Hall on 05 January 2017. 

 The Free State province came out top as the first and the only province in South Africa to achieve a 93% matric pass rate in 2016, breaking the country’s threshold of 90%. In 2013, the province set a target that remained unbeaten until 2016 when they broke their own record. “The performance of grade 12 learners in the province means better and more quality students for universities in general and CUT in particular. Year after year, we have seen how the Free State Government allocates millions of rand towards supporting young people in the Free State who are studying at CUT and other universities and we are grateful and appreciative of that. This year, as CUT we are offering 10 of the top 100 students with interest mainly in engineering and other STEM programmes a full scholarship for 2017,” she said.  These scholarships are intended for excellently performing students; mainly in Engineering, Science, and Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programmes at CUT.  This is part of the University’s mandate to increase its student intake in this priority area of STEM which for years, South Africa has placed on the critical skills shortage list. Dr Mrwetyana further said that CUT will continue to support all programmes of government in pursuit of a common mandate of delivering quality education for youth in this province. 

 

Other sponsors included Vodacom, Standard bank, JENN, MTN, De Beers, Mphati and associates quantity surveyors, E’tsho Engineering, Itau Milling, Interstate Bus Liner, CHIETA and CUT. 

Images 

1: Registrar and Acting Vice-Chancellor Dr Pinky Mrwetyana at the Well-Done Function with Mr Stanley Malope, Head of the Department in the Free State Department of Education (seated in the back). 

2: Four of the top 10 learners, from left: Salemane Ngakana , Le-reng Secondary School in Ladybrand;  Heidemarie Edeling, Eunice High School in Bloemfontein; Johan Champion, Sentraal High School in Bloemfontein; and Frank Letseleha, Thiboloha Special School in Phuthaditjhaba. 

3: The excited and overwhelmed Johan from Sentraal High School came out tops as the overall best candidate in Free State with eight distinctions. He said he did not expect it at all as he was worried about Maths and Science but in the end, he made it. He also mentioned that throughout the exams he drew strength from the advice he got from one of his friends while he was doing grade 10 who said he must always seek knowledge and not acknowledgement and that is what he has been trying to do. His advice to other learners is to pay attention in class, never stop learning and get enough sleep. He said he is planning to study medicine at Stellenbosch University.