In a powerful triumph over adversity, Dopsenville Forte Secondary School in Soweto has set a new standard for excellence, recording a staggering 99.61% matric pass rate for the Class of 2025, despite ongoing power outages in the school and surrounding community.
Under the leadership of principal Mukhosi Mudavhi, the school has built a culture where excellence is not aspirational but expected. In 2024, Forte recorded a 100% matric pass rate. In 2025, the school came heartbreakingly close to repeating the feat, achieving an outstanding 99.61% pass rate, with just one learner failing Grade 12 out of 258 candidates.
“For us, one child failing is one child too many. We would have wished that the learner had passed. When you are used to 100%, anything less than that feels like failure.”
Mudavhi, who has been at Forte since January 2011, said the results are not the product of chance but of deliberate leadership, discipline, and relentless support for learners, many of whom come from households facing severe economic hardship.
The school serves communities such as Thompsonville, Bramfischerville, Shetland and Midlands, where unemployment, crime, and substance abuse remain persistent challenges. These realities, Mudavhi said, often follow learners into the classroom.
“We are a township school, so we experience drugs, violence, and economic pressure. But we always tell our learners that their situation at home must not determine what they will become,” he said.
One of the most disruptive challenges during the 2025 academic year was instability linked to electricity protests in surrounding areas. Roads leading to the school were frequently blocked, making access difficult for both educators and learners. At the same time, power outages affected studying at home, particularly during exam periods.
Despite these obstacles, Forte maintained academic stability through strict attendance monitoring, extended teaching hours, and continuous revision, even while learners were writing their final examinations.
“We teach in between exams. Schooling here does not stop until the very last paper is written,” he added.
Mudavhi said attendance remains one of the biggest determining factors in academic success, noting that the only learner who failed in 2025 struggled with persistent absenteeism, particularly after the trial examinations.
“We saw it coming. We even went to the family to ask that the child must come to school. If a learner passes Grade 10 and Grade 11 and attends school daily, that learner can pass Grade 12,” he said.
Central to Forte’s success is the careful selection of class teachers. Mudavhi said educators are chosen not only for academic competence but also for empathy and the ability to manage learners beyond textbooks.
“We select class managers strategically; we need teachers who understand social and psychological challenges and who can show love and care. You cannot teach effectively if you ignore what a child is going through,” Mudavhi explained.
He further highlighted that the school works closely with parents and, where necessary, intervenes directly to support vulnerable learners. In some cases, learners are provided with food parcels, while others receive ongoing assistance throughout the year.
“We even adopt some of these children so that parents can be relieved of some pressure and learners can focus on their studies,” he said.
The school also draws inspiration from its expanding list of achievers, with former pupils, now doctors, engineers, and other professionals, frequently returning to motivate current learners. Mudavhi said seeing success stories from the same community reassures pupils that their own goals are within reach.
Looking ahead, Forte has increased its Grade 12 enrolment to 317 learners across 10 classes in 2026, with no class exceeding 33 learners. The school’s target remains unchanged: a 100% pass rate.
Mudavhi said the school’s message to learners is straightforward: consistent attendance, discipline, dedication, and respect are non-negotiable. He emphasised that Forte measures success beyond simply passing, with a bachelor’s pass regarded as the expected standard rather than an exception.
Reflecting on the 2025 results, Mudavhi admitted that falling just short of perfection weighed heavily on him. He said the near-perfect outcome felt personal, underscoring the responsibility he carries for every learner entrusted to the school.
Amid ongoing national debates around pass marks and education reform, Forte Secondary School continues to demonstrate that excellence is achievable when high expectations are paired with compassion, commitment, and strong leadership.
Mudavhi said the school remains firmly focused on shaping futures, vowing that educators will continue to stand alongside learners until they reach their full potential.
The Star
masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za