Springs - Now is the time to put away cellphones, stop attending parties, buckle down and focus on your books, says Gauteng Education MEC Barbara Creecy.
The MEC was addressing Grade 12 learners in Springs, who are preparing for their final examinations in the next two weeks.
A total of 814 learners from seven underperforming schools will be spending these last two weeks preparing for the exams at a matric revision site, which has been set up at the Stable Inn Conference Centre.
Various such camps have been running where learners are being taught 10 subjects including Maths, Accounting, Physics, Business Studies, amongst others, to prepare them how to answer the questions and what to expect from question papers. The camps are running from 9 - 21 October.
Creecy encouraged learners to put a "100 percent effort" in their studies, saying there was still time to fix things for those who did not do well during the mid-year exams.
"If you can say goodbye to your friends, MXit and everybody over the next two weeks until you finish writing your exams, we can get you through. When you leave this place, you have to form study groups to help motivate and push each other," Creecy told the learners.
While she was there, Creecy announced that Statistics South Africa would be awarding a bursary to one learner from the site. The candidate would need to obtain an A in Maths to qualify to study statistics next year.
Two bursaries would also be awarded by the department to the two top learners for them to further their studies in higher institutions.
Statistician General Pali Lehohla encouraged learners to focus on the next few weeks so that they can achieve what they set out to achieve. "Make sure you don't disappoint yourself, parents and your community. Go and do what you do best and make us proud."
Gauteng East District Director, Moreen Mthimunye, said the district had set itself a target of 85 percent pass rate and was confident the learners would achieve it.
"They've committed themselves to be here and with the 85 percent target, I know they will produce 100 percent," Mthimunye said.
Rivonia High School learner, Nosipho Zepe (18), said the study camps had been helpful and they managed to cover some areas which they did not cover at school.
"My strong subjects are Business Studies and Economics, of which I'm aiming to get 80%," said an optimistic Zepe, who is planning to study Marketing at Tshwane University of Technology.
Anna Ditshwaela from Zikhethele High School in Devon said with the dedication in their school work, she was confident that the district would achieve the 85 percent pass rate target.
"It's been a hectic time especially in winter, where we had to come to the study camps, but we are not afraid of anything... we are well prepared and we will make it," she said.
