matric

Ulrich le Roux from Paarl Boys High School is South Africa’s top-performing learner. Image via Facebook: Drakenstein Municipality

SA’s top-performing matric gets hero’s welcome at school [watch]

Ulrich le Roux from Paarl Boys High School is South Africa’s top matric pupil with an average of 97.86% and seven distinctions!

matric

Ulrich le Roux from Paarl Boys High School is South Africa’s top-performing learner. Image via Facebook: Drakenstein Municipality

The overall matric results were announced by Minister of Basic Education Angie Motskekga on Thursday evening 20 January. The matric class of 2021 achieved a 76.4% pass rate with one pupil standing tall as the top learner for the year. 

Ulrich le Roux from Paarl Boys High School in the Western Cape was the top National Senior Certificate (NSC) learner for 2021. Le Roux achieved an average of 97.86% with seven distinctions. 

ALSO READ: ‘Beyond excellent!’: Matric pupil wows SA with 100% mathematics pass

ULRICH LE ROUX: NSC’S TOP-PERFORMING LEARNER 

Ulrich le Roux achieved seven distinctions including Afrikaans, English, Accounting, Physical Science and Accounting. Le Roux said his favourite subject was Mathematics. 

Speaking to Cape Argus, le Roux expressed that he was surprised and delighted when he received the news. 

“I must say, it was quite unexpected, a massive surprise to even get the email to be able to go to Johannesburg and an even bigger surprise to actually win the number one spot.” 

Paarl Boys High School gave le Roux a hero’s welcome when he returned from his trip to Johannesburg. 

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WHAT’S NEXT FOR ULRICH?

Ulrich le Roux is headed to Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape to study Actuarial Science. 

As he bows out of matric, le Roux had some encouraging words for the class of 2022.

“COVID-19 is still going to massively impact their studies and everything. I’d tell them they must enjoy all the last moments with their friends and at school, but at the same time, still work hard on academics so that they can be happy and look back with no regrets on what they achieved.”

ALSO READ: Double the smarts! Matric twins obtain total of 24 distinctions [listen]

DRAKENSTEIN MUNICIPALITY PRAISES ULRICH 

Drakenstein Municipality mayor Conrad Poole congratulated Ulrich le Roux on his achievement highlighting that number one in the country “is no mean feat”. 

“The world is your oyster, so go out and make Drakenstein even prouder.”