Former student Minenhle is now studying for her Bachelor of Education
In 2019, barely half of Shiyane High School students were passing their final ‘Matric’ exams, a prerequisite to tertiary study. With the support of KHULA’s top-up teaching programme, that figure soared to 91% by 2022, with many students becoming the first in their families to go on to tertiary study.
Minenhle Ndebele is one such former Shiyane High School student, who received KHULA’s top-up teaching support throughout her primary and secondary school years. Today she is studying for her Bachelor of Education at the University of the Free State.
“I grew up with my grandmother and siblings in a rural area called Nkelekehle. I lived far away from the school and the place I grew up in didn’t have electricity, so a lot of things were very difficult for us. Being a student was very hard."
“I was first introduced to KHULA at Oscarsberg Primary. They organised summer camps where I learnt a lot, but there’s one thing I carry even to this day - we made vision boards about our futures, and I still look at it today."
“When I got to Shiyane, KHULA supported us with Maths and English, which helped us get very good marks. As a student, it was very hard to balance your home chores and schoolwork, but KHULA supported us – they gave us access to the Resource Centre after school so we could study before we went home and there we had access to WiFi, iPads and laptops for our schoolwork."
“I really appreciate the support we got from KHULA. I hope it can carry on for the next generation.”