News / National
Whizz-kids appeal for financial aid
03 Feb 2018 at 15:07hrs | Views
Two students in Triangle who gained straight As in their ‘‘A''Level results are appealing for scholarships or financial assistance to proceed to university.
The two Terry Goss High School students Tatenda Ganyani and Tafadzwa Mwedzi received a string of perfect results in the four ‘‘A'' Level subjects they sat for but are failing to proceed to university because they are both from a disadvantaged background, with both their fathers employed as shop-floor workers at Triangle, the local unit of South African sugar processor Tongaat Hulett.
Ganyani achieved straight As in Maths, Further Maths, Biology, Physics and Chemistry while Mwedzi also sat for the same subjects and got As in all the subjects and a B in Chemistry. Ganyani and Mwedzi have 25 and 24 points respectively.
Both learners - who look set to be excluded from the higher education system simply on the basis of their parents' socio-economic status — said if they get help, they were eager to proceed to the country's leading research and teaching institutions, and plan to study to become medical doctors.
The high-achieving, low-income students, appealed for financial assistance from well-wishers saying they wanted to be the first in their families to attend college to break their cycle of generational poverty.
Ganyani told the Daily News his father works in the Triangle Garage as an aide and was unable to bankroll his university fees.
He said he has set himself on getting a graduate degree and always thinks about his future but worries about the financial means he needs to get there.
"That is why I am making this financial aid appeal or even a scholarship to get into university because of my family's financial circumstances," he said.
The total number of candidates who sat for the November "A'' Level 2017 examination was 49 494 as compared to 41 549 in November 2016, an increase of 19,12 percent.
"The number of candidates who obtained Grade E or better was 46 387. This gives a percentage pass rate of 93, 7 percent," Zimsec said in a statement.
This comes as government's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programme is facing a critical funding shortfall.
The two Terry Goss High School students Tatenda Ganyani and Tafadzwa Mwedzi received a string of perfect results in the four ‘‘A'' Level subjects they sat for but are failing to proceed to university because they are both from a disadvantaged background, with both their fathers employed as shop-floor workers at Triangle, the local unit of South African sugar processor Tongaat Hulett.
Ganyani achieved straight As in Maths, Further Maths, Biology, Physics and Chemistry while Mwedzi also sat for the same subjects and got As in all the subjects and a B in Chemistry. Ganyani and Mwedzi have 25 and 24 points respectively.
Both learners - who look set to be excluded from the higher education system simply on the basis of their parents' socio-economic status — said if they get help, they were eager to proceed to the country's leading research and teaching institutions, and plan to study to become medical doctors.
The high-achieving, low-income students, appealed for financial assistance from well-wishers saying they wanted to be the first in their families to attend college to break their cycle of generational poverty.
Ganyani told the Daily News his father works in the Triangle Garage as an aide and was unable to bankroll his university fees.
He said he has set himself on getting a graduate degree and always thinks about his future but worries about the financial means he needs to get there.
"That is why I am making this financial aid appeal or even a scholarship to get into university because of my family's financial circumstances," he said.
The total number of candidates who sat for the November "A'' Level 2017 examination was 49 494 as compared to 41 549 in November 2016, an increase of 19,12 percent.
"The number of candidates who obtained Grade E or better was 46 387. This gives a percentage pass rate of 93, 7 percent," Zimsec said in a statement.
This comes as government's science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programme is facing a critical funding shortfall.
Source - dailynews
