Education Incorporated, a private school situated in Fourways, Johannesburg, once again achieved a 100% pass rate in the 2022 Independent Examinations Board (IEB) matric results. This is the seventh year in a row that the school has achieved this level of success.

Edu Inc’s co-founder and headmaster, Gershom Aitchison, is understandably proud. ‘Our school has been open for ten years, seven of which have included a grade 12 (matric) class. In those seven years, every single learner has left grade 12 with a matric pass. This speaks volumes for both the diligence of our learners and the skill and commitment of our faculty.’

For the first time, a single founder learner, starting in grade 4, has progressed all the way to matric. ‘That was a lovely milestone for us,’ says Aitchison.

He stresses that matric results, while crucially important, is not the only key result area by which the school should be measured. ‘Edu Inc recognises that all children are unique and we focus strongly on nurturing the potential of each child, showing them how to learn and grow in secure, encouraging and positive surroundings. Established school systems are sadly not equipping learners to become entrepreneurs, a key aspect for us. Critical thinking and the ability to create, build, problem-solve and develop ideas, therefore, set our students apart.’

The consistent 100% pass rate has not resulted from a policy of selecting only learners with superior academic ability. ‘We have a range of natural abilities from an academic point of view. This means that getting a 100% matric pass rate speaks volumes about our methodology and the diligence of the children.’

The 2022 result is even more remarkable considering the devastating effect Covid had on the learning process. ‘Effectively, this matric class had to work online in both 2020 and 2021 – grades 10 and 11 – which are the key formative years in their road to matric. And it was a sudden, scary transition in March of 2020 when the lockdown came from nowhere. Our faculty were amazing, building an entire online learning platform in a matter of weeks.

In a single week towards the end of March, we went from testing the system for the first time on a Monday to going completely online three days later. But our learners pivoted just as quickly. It was an amazing journey.’

The Covid-driven transition enabled the school to move towards a complete hybrid learning model. ‘Learners are able to attend class both physically or digitally and have a meaningful learning experience,’ explains Aitchison. ‘We have students resident in the UK, the Netherlands and Durban. And if teachers cannot attend class for any reason, they can teach a classroom of learners from home.’

‘The Edu Inc learning model, with its exceptional matric results history, proves that world-class teaching methods, coupled with the broad development of each child’s potential, is alive and well in South Africa,’ he concluded.