Achieving a 100 per cent pass rate with its second graduating class, Bulungula College proves that quality education is possible even in the most challenging socio-economic environments.
In 2022, Bulungula College became the first school in the history of the Elliotdale district, in the rural Eastern Cape, to achieve a 100 per cent pass rate. The 2023 class followed close behind, earning a 97.3% Matric pass rate. The school serves one of the poorest communities in the country where, historically, only six people a year passed Matric. However, over the past three years, the college has graduated 99 Matriculants.
At the annual awards ceremony for the Elliotdale District, Bulungula College received the most awards out of all nine high schools within the district. Among the 34 trophies and certificates was an award for a 100 per cent pass rate and another for ‘most improved school’.
Founded in 2019, Bulungula College is an independent school run by the Bulungula Incubator, a non-profit organisation that runs several community development projects in the area. It is the only high school in the Xhora Mouth Administrative Area (A/A) on the Wild Coast to offer Matric; prior to its opening, learners who wanted to write Matric would have to do so outside of the community.
A simple approach to quality education
Bulungula College aims to do one thing and to do it well: deliver quality education. It doesn’t do anything particularly unique or special in order to achieve that aim. It does what all schools in the country could and should be doing: it creates a conducive and welcoming environment for learners.
The building is well-equipped, and each learner has their own desk, textbooks and stationery kit. Learners receive nutritious meals at school and are provided with healthcare and psycho-social support. Because it is a zero-fee school, there is no financial burden on families.
While it is common for teachers in rural schools to live outside the community and to commute long distances, (resulting in them arriving late and leaving early), at Bulungula College, teachers live in the community. Learners often tell us that the aspect of school life they enjoy the most is their strong relationships with their teachers. Our teachers are passionate about teaching and are invested in the well-being and progress of their learners.
Many households in Xhora Mouth A/A are child-headed and most graduates from Bulungula College are the first in their families to pass Matric. This means that family members are seldom able to assist or provide guidance with schoolwork. At Bulungula, learners receive quality teaching and the necessary support to rise above their circumstances.
Responding to socio-economic challenges
In an environment where 96 per cent of households have a monthly income of under R1 600, Bulungula recognises and responds to the myriad socio-economic challenges. Encouraging young people to continue their education until Matric in this environment is challenging. This is why learners are provided with increased access to healthcare, social support, and opportunities beyond Matric. A wellness wagon at the school offers primary healthcare services, including contraception.
Bulungula College has adopted an inclusive pregnant-learner policy and achieved a 100 per cent pregnant-learner retention rate. Learners who fall pregnant and give birth while at school are supported to stay in school. Mothers and their babies receive the necessary healthcare.
Learners experience pressures at home, often having to wear multiple hats, which is exacerbated by the intensity of the Matric year. The college, therefore, offers extra classes to Matric learners and runs an annual ‘final stretch’ camp, where Matrics stay on at the school for six weeks to focus on their studies. Meditation and yoga classes are run throughout the year to help learners with stress management.
Post-graduation support
After Matriculating, learners are faced with a different stressor: unemployment. More than half of the population in the Eastern Cape are unemployed. Bulungula College’s Job Skills and Entrepreneurship Programme (JSEP) aims to help learners find employment by focusing on life skills, entrepreneurship skills, and context-specific job skills.
JSEP was initially started as an alternative to the academic stream for learners with large gaps in their education, but it has also proved to be a valuable experience for Matriculants. As part of the programme, learners complete paid internships at the Bulungula Incubator and other establishments in the area. They are also assisted with job placements after they graduate from JSEP.
Matriculants also receive support in applying for tertiary education and accessing bursaries. Almost 60 per cent of the class of 2022 achieved a bachelor’s pass. Eight learners from the graduating class were accepted and are now attending university at Walter Sisulu University, Rhodes University, University of Johannesburg, and University of Fort Hare.
Ikho Dyomfana, a top student from 2022, is studying accounting at Rhodes University. “Bulungula College taught me that we have limited time; every minute you waste is a minute you could have used to elevate yourself,” says Dyomfana.
Another top achiever, Achumile Siphofana, received a full scholarship to study education at the University of Johannesburg. She says that Bulungula College instilled critical thinking that has been useful in her first year of studies. “My teachers would encourage us to ask ourselves critical questions of not just how something works but why it works that way.”
To learn more about Bulungula College, check out our in-depth report.
How to provide excellent education in under-resourced communities
1. Keep it learner-focused
- Unlock the potential of every learner, regardless of academic ability.
- Provide comprehensive support, including meals, learning materials, and extra assistance for struggling learners. Offer psychosocial support through a Learner Help Desk.
- Partner with a clinic or healthcare facility to offer STI and reproductive health services at school.
- Offer second-chance Matric support for learners who did not pass initially, including applying for an exam rewrite at the nearest Department of Basic Education, study material, tutoring and transport to the exams.
- Set up extracurricular activities, including sports, drama, chess, and field trip excursions.
2. Harness the power of community
- Involve the community in decision-making processes through a governing committee.
- Ensure representation of traditional leadership on the school’s Board of Directors.
- If you recruit teachers from outside the community, encourage them to rent accommodation within the community.
- Employ staff members (administrators, cooks, cleaners, security, maintenance, etc.) exclusively from the community.
- Encourage parents to be involved in the school by starting a volunteer meal-cooking programme for special school events.
3. Diligently implement inclusive school policies
- Enforce a strict no-corporal punishment policy so that learners feel safe and excited to come to school.
- Support and work with weak-performing learners to help them reach their full potential and never cut a learner based on their academic performance.
- Keep pregnant and mother learners in school by providing ongoing psychosocial support, assistance in clinic date appointments and a school catch-up plan.
4. Don’t forget the big picture: be part of a holistic development model
- Operate within a holistic development model that offers integrated services in health, nutrition, skill development and job networking.
- Make sure learners are supported after they graduate by emphasising the long-term development of learners beyond earning a Matric certificate.
- Make substantial investments in learners’ education, recognising their immense individual potential in alleviating poverty for their families and community.
5. Be guided by a data-driven strategic plan
- Facilitate workshops with teaching staff to address challenges and strategically plan for the school’s development.
- Develop a data-driven strategic plan with actionable items assigned to responsible individuals.
- Continuously review and update the plan based on data analysis and feedback.
By implementing these key factors, our school has been able to create a high-quality level of education in an area where it operates as the first and only high school.