S.J. Van Der Merwe Technical (Polokwane)

Okay so S.J. van der Merwe Technical in Lebakgomo, let's talk. First of all, 1460 learners and only 47 teachers. That is not a school, that is a taxi rank with a chalkboard. One teacher is basically looking after 31 kids at a time, which means somewhere in that classroom there is a kid who has not been spoken to since Grade 8 and is just vibing in the back corner waiting for matric. The teacher does not even know his name. The register stopped making sense in 2019. Now the description says "supported by 47 educators" like those 47 souls are not carrying the entire Limpopo education system on their backs like a government bakkie with no suspension. No fees, no boarding, no problem apparently, because somehow this school pushed a 92% matric pass rate. Do you understand what that means? That is not a school result, that is a miracle. Lebakgomo said load shedding, overcrowding, one teacher per small village, and STILL passed 92% of their kids. The Western Cape private schools with their R50k fees and their "holistic development" are sweating right now. The name S.J. van der Merwe Technical also sounds like a guy who once fixed a tractor in 1987 and they named a whole school after him. Classic Limpopo energy and we respect it. Overall verdict: Chaotic, overcrowded, and running on pure stubbornness, but somehow producing results that schools with swimming pools and a PR team cannot match. Respect.