By DESTINE NDE
LANDMARKS are a major feature of education. When parents first put their children in pre-school, their primary desire is to see them progress from the first to the last landmark. Even the learners, as soon as they are old enough to understand that education is a long journey with many landmarks along the way, become motivated by the same desire, namely to rise from the lowest to the highest possible landmark. What is so special about these landmarks is that they are universally recognised and officially celebrated.
Every major advance in education is marked with certificates of recognition and ceremonies of celebration. From pre-school to elementary school, from elementary to primary school, from primary to secondary school, from secondary to the tertiary level, and from undergraduate to graduate levels — every step up is a great achievement in the life of the academic, and not only deserves to be celebrated, but also demands public recognition and respect, which is often supplied in the form of certificates.
The special term reserved for these academic progressions is graduation. This involves the handing over of a certificate marking the successful completion of a specific course, including diploma and degree courses. Accordingly, a graduation cannot be private, but must be witnessed. It also follows that there will be celebrations, to a lesser or greater degree.
Besides these universally recognised and celebrated landmarks along the path of academic progression, there are various other intermediate achievements or events worth celebrating as well. They are more or less widely known, and celebrated in a grander or simpler way. Though certificates might not be handed out, they are still highly significant, sometimes more so than the formal ones.
I have just attended one such ceremony at the Willowmore Secondary School, known as Nommerdag, or Number Day. It is a highly respected local tradition which is taken very seriously by learners, teachers, parents and the community alike.
The principal of Willowmore Secondary School, Mr George Ferreira, hands a matric exam number to a proud learner. All images by the author.
On 10 October 2024, residents of Willowmore converged in their hundreds on the Willowmore Secondary School to celebrate the latest Nommerdag. Clearly, this was a very significant event, especially so for the Grade 12 learners, on whose behalf it was organised.
Ms Jero Malgas, an English teacher and head of the Department of English at WSS, explained: ‘It’s a kind of farewell ceremony – a valedictory, to send them out into the world and on to their career paths. To say goodbye to them, for after today they will never return to their classrooms as learners.’
The event has four components. First, and most importantly, matriculants — that is, Grade 12 learners — receive their matric examination numbers. This is why the ceremony is referred to as Number Day (Nommerdag).
Lee-Jason Samuels, a former head boy of WSS, and currently a teacher at the Elmor Primary School, described it as follows: ‘Nommerdag celebrates the reception of final examination numbers. This is a long-standing tradition at WSS – it’s about 15 years old. Receiving the number is regarded as as a major achievement. Seeing that drop-out rates are so high, it can be taken as a ticket out of high school.’
Formally and respectfully, each learner was called to the stage to receive his or her examination number from the principal, Mr George Ferreira, in full view of hundreds of spectators, including parents, relatives, friends and well-wishers.
The incoming head girl, Corrinne Witbooi, addresses the gathering.
Secondly, the tradition also revolves around names, signatures quotes, sketches, and other insignia on the school shirts of Grade 12 Learners.
‘Basically, they put their signatures or their trademarks on their school shirts,’ said a smiling Ms Malgas. ‘When they are done with Grade 12, they can look at the shirts and remember their time in school.’
Added Lee-Jason: ‘It’s the one day when it is permissible for friends, mates, teachers and even parents to write or draw whatever they want on your school shirt. This serves as a memory; a kind of evidence that you were there, that you were once a matriculant.’
With excitement and joy, a learner, Phillipa Brouwer, declared : ‘This is the best day of my life – I will never forget it.’
The third component of this interesting tradition is also quite touching. Each learner is required to submit a short statement about themselves which they regard as their personal motto or philosophy. This can either be original, or borrowed from a sage or role model.
These statements were read out over the loudspeakers as each learner ascended the stage, followed by – sometimes rapturous – cheering and applause. I wrote some of them down:
- ‘In school, you learn a lesson and then take a test, but in life you take a test and the experience teaches you a lesson.’
- ‘I will succeed, not immediately, but definitely. Success is my only option.’
- ‘Every setback is a set-up for a comeback.’
- ‘When I stand before God, at the end of my life, I will tell Him I have no talents left, because I used all of them when I was alive.’
- ‘Confidence doesn’t come from being right or succeeding all time, but from not fearing to be wrong or to fail.’
- ‘Failure is not fatal, success is not final; but the courage to continue is vital.’
- ‘Look for the hidden opportunity in every difficulty, instead to be paralysed by the obvious difficulties in every opportunity.’
- ‘A Winner is a Loser who never gives up.’
- ‘Never let success go to your head, and never let failure go to your heart.’
However, to my dismay, I became aware that most learners pegged their mottos on the notion of success. Of the 82 mottos read our in the hall, all but four or five included the word ‘success’. Even the printed programme contained a quotation which began: ’If you wish for success in life …’
This is why I’m worried. First, what do these young men and women take success to mean? What is their conception of success? Is this largely material? I would give a lot to learn the answer to this question. Second, what has happened to goals and ideals that money can never actually buy? Like love, hope, faith, peace, justice, unity? In fact, the mighty word ‘love’ was not mentioned in a single motto – everything hinged on the idea of success. Is this not dismaying, for those are are supposed to be the leaders of tomorrow? But let us continue.
Finally, as the fourth and final part of this charming ceremony, parents, teachers, community members, and two able learners imparted words of encouragement and inspiration.
The pastor’s message for the day could safely be reduced to this: ‘Don’t worry, put all your trust in the Lord’, and the importance of praying besides.
The first speaker was the principal, Mr George Ferreira. He gave parents sound advice on how to best support their children during the coming crucial weeks when they study for and write their matric exams.
Among others, he advised them to ‘pay keen attention to the little things — things which seem insignificant but contain the power of success and failure, such as the correct order and spelling of names and surnames, dates of birth, the instructions on question papers, and so on.
The second speaker was Mr Lyle Dryling, a former student, the top student in 2010 with a stunning pass rate of 97% in Mathematical Literacy. He now teaches at Elmor Primary School, and is a respected member of the Parents Teacher Association.
He said: ‘I stand here as an example of a learner whose parents participated actively in his education and upbringing. And for that I will be forever thankful to them, and to my teachers too.’
He congratulated the learners for having made it to Grade 12, and challenged them to assume responsibility for their lives. ‘Grade Twelves, the world is waiting for you out there!’ he exclaimed. ‘We don’t want to see any of you standing idle in front of shops. There is more to the world than just Willowmore.’
He also revealed his triple recipe for success, namely hard work, discipline, and a passion for succeeding, saying: ‘What you sow, you shall reap.’ He then asked the entire community to remember the learners in their prayers, and ended by quoting the following verse from Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians: ‘I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me.’
Next, Lolwethu Moyi, the deputy head boy, thanked everyone who had played a role in their education, especially their teachers and the principal for organising extra classes, as well as a winter school, when they stayed in the hostel for a week during the winter holidays in order to study.
He was followed by the incoming head girl, Corrine Witbooi, a promising Grade 11 learner, who also thanked teachers and parents: ‘On the darkest days your light shone on us,’ she then called on the matriculants to make a final push and encourage one another. ‘Pray until you receive an answer. It’s the last exam now, but not the last in your lives.’
She called on them to remain positive, because matric was ‘just the beginning’, and rounded off with Psalms 119:9: ‘How can a young man keep his path clean; by obeying the word of God.’
In closing, Ms Elcarla Coetzee, the Master of Ceremony, said: ‘This is a special moment in your lives when you don’t have to do any domestic chores. This is the only time your mother should say: Don’t worry about the dishes – you had better go and study.’ She thanked the amused audience, and said good bye.
Parents and teachers then stood in a long line, starting inside the hall and ending far outside, and shook hands with all the matriculants as they filed out.
It was a unique and fascinating event. It might not be a recognisable milestone in education, and no certificate is involved, but it has come to carry great meaning for the learners and community of Willowmore.
As Lee-Jason put it: ‘It really is a proud moment. This is what actually inspired me to study education, and I’m a teacher today because of that inspiration. I would like to encourage more schools in the Sarah Baartman District to adopt this tradition.’
I cannot but agree with him that this remarkable ceremony should spread to other schools – not only in the Sarah Baartman Educational District, but throughout South Africa, and even beyond its borders.
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