SA top-performing matriculant says greater access to education crucial: ‘It’s the most powerful weapon’
Hailing from Rhenish High School in Stellenbosch, Melissa Muller, who took first place in the 2023 NSC results, said she wants to see more communities benefiting from education like she has.
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa's top-performing pupil says it is crucial to make education more accessible in South Africa.
Melissa Muller of Rhenish High School in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, took first place in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) 2023 results.
The results were announced during an awards ceremony in Johannesburg on Thursday night.
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Muller plans to study Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch in 2024.
She said while she knew she was among the top achievers in the class of 2023, it didn’t dawn on her just how hard she had worked.
The hockey and water polo standout said her achievements in academics and sports made her proud to be an ambassador of the public schooling system.
Quoting former President Nelson Mandela, Muller said she wants to see more communities in her province benefiting from education like she had.
''Education is the most powerful weapon [you can use] to change the world. I’ve always believed strongly in that. I think that by educating a lot of the poorer communities in our country will make a major impact, both economically [and] socially.
''I do think we can start doing that by simple things like training community members to just uplift the skills in communities where the schools are often so far away from children's homes...''
Not only has Muller shone brightly as the top overall learner, but she also clinched first place for Physical Science and Quintile 5.