Photo: Tokelo Chakana, CUT alumnus and one of the best teachers in the province believes that committed teachers produce successful learners.

Tokelo Chakana, CUT alumnus and one of the Free State Province’s best teachers, took his career to another level when he produced 96% pass rate in Economics at Samuel Johnson Secondary School in Xhariep District, Zastron.

As a student, Tokelo made CUT’s Welkom Campus his academic home and enrolled for BEd (Senior Phase & Further Education and Training): Economic and Management Sciences programme. He never let challenges stand in his way. He obtained distinctions in 11 of his 15 subjects in his first year and was awarded the Funza Lushaka Bursary as well as the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestigious Award. He graduated Cum Laude and is now a teacher and Acting Departmental Head for Commerce at Samuel Johnson Secondary School.

“I am highly motivated in my career because I am definitely living my dream of making a difference in a black child’s life and this has allowed me to touch many more.”

His enthusiasm and tenacity resulted in him winning the Provincial Budget Essay Competition by the Provincial Treasury as the Best Teacher in Economics, 2020.  He was the third-best teacher in the Xhariep District with a pass rate of 96% with the second-highest number of learners.

Samuel Johnson Secondary School was among the schools that got top position in Economics in their 2022 National Senior Certificates (NSC) results. “Everything matters no matter how big or small. I do everything with intention and purpose. I want my success to be an inspiration to others. I see it as a blessing to have been placed in a small town such as Zastron, where the need is great.”  His wish is to change the perceptions of learners to see beyond the small town they grew up in. “The world has so much to offer so it is my mission to push them to strive for incredible things far beyond what they can see and imagine. As an educator, it is important for me to always work on improving myself in my career and explore other ventures and fields of study. There are so many opportunities and possibilities out there that are just waiting for us to grab them with both hands.”

Read about more of CUT's Alumni in the latest edition (8th) of CUT Alumni News

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