19 January 2024
Maritzburg College Dux Declan Pillay excelled in the 2023 National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams. On Friday, when the results were released, he learned he had finished third overall in the Umgungundlovu District.
Pillay received seven NSC distinctions. Those marks included, among others, 97 percent for accounting, 91 percent for Afrikaans, 95 percent for mathematics, and 92 percent for physical science. Pillay also tackled the IEB Further Studies Mathematics exam and scored a 96 percent for the challenging subject to add another A to his results.
James Wiggill, who also starred for the College 1st cricket XI, received seven distinctions, as did Matthew van Rooyen, who was with Wiggill in primary school at Merchiston Prep. Mpumelelo Madlaba matched those achievements. His marks were highlighted by 96 percent for Business Studies and 95 percent for Zulu.
Eight boys achieved six distinctions and another four received five. There were 46 students with three or more As.
Overall, College produced a 99.2 percent pass rate, with 235 boys securing university exemption.
Their Pietermaritzburg neighbours, St Charles College, produced another stellar set of A Level and AS Level results in the Cambridge exams.
Nikhil Gongal stole the spotlight with nine distinctions. The Saints’ Dux achieved A Level distinctions in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics (for which he achieved an A+) and Physics. He, furthermore, scored AS Level distinctions in Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics and Physics.
After learning the good news, Nikhil described St Charles as a second home to him. “It is an excellent institution with amazing facilities, and amazing teachers and staff, who have cared for me,” he said.
“St Charles hasn’t just educated me academically, but it has also given me a set of values and morals to live my life by, as well as a brotherhood to help me through it.
“I plan to go to Stellenbosch to study medicine.”
James Martens, who achieved two A Level and four AS Level distinctions, was equally effusive in his praise of St Charles College, saying: “I have loved every minute of my time at St Charles College and cannot overstate how amazing every teacher has been in preparing me for the wider world. Without their unwavering support and encouragement, I would never have come close to achieving the marks I did.”
Ralf Köhne recorded five AS Level distinctions, while Ahmed Noorgat shone with two A Level and three AS Level As.
Five Saints’ students – Riav Gayadin, Mark Koch, Ethan Leppan, Theo Pavlov and Michael Wormington – recorded four AS Level distinctions each, while Sholly Lawal-Solarin scored three AS Level distinctions and an A Level distinction in Mathematics.
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