SUPPLIED
Okuhle
Three KwaZulu-Natal pupils who excelled in English have been named among the top 15 in the De Beers English Olympiad.
The winners will be announced at a prize-giving ceremony in Grahamstown in July.
In March, 7 367 hopefuls from grades 10-12 throughout the country wrote a three-hour exam.
The Grahamstown Foundation and the SA Council for English Education recently released the names of the top 15 performers.
Thomas Hudson of Kearsney College, Mia McCarthy of Maris Stella and Okuhle Tamella of New Forest High School will continue representing KZN in the top 15.
They will be invited to attend the National Schools’ Festival in Grahamstown.
The three pupils took part in the exam, themed “When Urban meets Rural”, and the anthology, titled “Small Town, Big Voice”, compiled by the council.
Mia, 16, of Berea, is described by her principal, Pauline Rosseau, as a caring girl who is “mature beyond her age”.
“This is a wonderful achievement for her. But I am proud of the teachers as well, for helping her prepare for the Olympiad.”
Noelyne Levin, a councillor at New Forest who assisted Okuhle, 17, said: “She works extremely hard and she loves sport as well.”
Thomas, 16, was described by a teacher as a laid-back pupil who worked hard.
Phillip Barton, CEO of De Beers Consolidated Mines, said: “Each year we are proud to honour the achievements of the winners of the De Beers English Olympiad. However, it is the impact of the entire competition that is felt more deeply and widely in schools and communities across South Africa.”
The top three will be awarded with a literary visit to England.
