Rydal Park Secondary defies social challenges with perfect matric results

TRIUMPH OVER ADVERSITY

- MONISHKA GOVENDER

STAFF with current and former pupils of Rydal Park Secondary. From left: Principal Lionel Veeraragulu, Cruz Kemraj, Matthew Arjun, Aariya Ramdath, Joshua Reddy, Mario Pillay and deputy principal, Sarah Khan. I MONISHKA GOVENDER

(MONISHKA GOVENDER)

RYDAL Park Secondary School in Phoenix has made history by achieving a 100% matric pass rate for the first time in 43 years, overcoming poverty, social challenges, and a previously underperforming status.

Under new principal Lionel Veeraragulu’s leadership, the school implemented comprehensive support systems and rigorous academic interventions to transform the lives of pupils from one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most challenged communities.

Veeraragulu, 39, said: “We have come very, very far. We serve a poverty-stricken community plagued by drugs and social problems. These results have put us on cloud nine.

“There have been pupils who came to school hungry, some without a place to stay. Our staff went beyond teaching. They supported pupils emotionally and, at times, practically. We understood that if we did not put systems in place, learning simply could not happen.”

In 2021, the school’s matric pass rate was 70.8%, the lowest in its history.

In 2023, it was officially classified as an underperforming school, and the leadership team was called into meetings where the poor results were addressed.