There is no better time than now to appreciate and celebrate the work of some of SA’s dedicated and inspirational teachers.
Take Lerato Ramabodu, for example, a dedicated model educator from Lekgulo Senior Secondary School in Qwaqwa in the Free State, who has secured a 100% pass rate in physical science for nine years running. Ramabodu, 31, has not only made a huge impact on the lives of his pupils but is also making a lasting difference to education.
Ramabodu did not only prepare his pupils to pass tests and examinations with flying colours but also shaped their futures. His passion for education shines through his comments when asked how he has managed such a long streak of producing excellent results for his learners.
“I don’t tolerate absenteeism,” Ramabodu told Sowetan this week. His recipe for success starts with extra classes in the mornings and after school. Sometimes, he said, he used his car to drop off pupils at their homes after finishing late with extra lessons. Such is the hallmark of a dedicated teacher who would not let challenges, such as after-school transport, get in the way of his pursuit of success.
Ramabodu is not alone. At Phafogang Secondary School in Rockville, Soweto, the determination and dedication of teachers have turned around the fortunes of a school that was regarded as one of the worst-performing in SA. Now boasting a matric pass rate of 81.9%, the school has turned the corner from its dismal performance of 47% just two years ago.
It is all thanks to the hard work of teachers such as Olifile Mahlangu, whose English classes attained a 100% consecutive pass rate. Maths teacher Mduduzi Mkhabela has also raised the bar, lifting the grade 12 maths results from 18% in 2023 to 72.7% in 2025 — a remarkable turnaround.
Despite the various challenges they faced in our public schools, including a lack of resources, poor infrastructure, violence and other social ills, these teachers and many others around the country were not deterred. That SA today celebrates a historic 88% national pass rate for the matric class of 2025 is partly owing to their hard work, which we must all acknowledge.
For our country to attain its developmental goals, we need to encourage and produce more highly trained, dedicated and motivated teachers like Ramabodu, Mahlangu and Mkhabela to make a lasting difference in the lives of our youth.
The basic education department must extend further support to more schools in the country so that other teachers can emulate these successes. We lend our support to encourage these model teachers to continue on this path of success.
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