Three high school learners earned a sizable part of their first year tertiary tuition fees by achieving top scores in the 2016 National Accounting Olympiad (NAO) hosted by the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA).
“The responsibility of finding alternative ways to make tertiary education accessible to all has to be shared by all stakeholders as government alone cannot do it.”
“We are very grateful to our corporate sponsors for enabling us as an accountancy professional body of choice to contribute a total of R110 000 to the tuition fees of the top six students in the Olympiad and a further R60 000 to the schools and the teachers of these learners” says Zobuzwe Ngobese, Marketing and Communications Executive of SAIPA.
The tuition fee contributions, as well as an assortment of equipment to support the learners in their further studies, was sponsored by VKN Financial Services, Leppard Underwriting, Sage One, and the University of Johannesburg.
“A campaign such as the National Accounting Olympiad – now in its 14th year – creates an opportunity for academic institutions, industry associations, future employers, teachers, parents, and learners that will become students to share in the responsibility of finding a sustainable solution.”
While contributing towards the cost of tuition might only address a small part of the issues that have been raised by the #feesmustfall movement, it is a start in a direction that might present potential solutions.
“The contribution towards their first year tuition fees was earned by the students, facilitated by SAIPA, sponsored by companies, encouraged by their teachers, and supported by their parents,” says Ngobese.
Muzaar Ahmed Malani from the Orient Islamic School in Durban, achieved the highest score and won a R40 000 bursary. Rhulani Ndlala from Merensky High School in Tzaneen won a R25 000 bursary for his second place score, and in third place Simonè Balt from Hoërskool Linden in Johannesburg won a R15 000 bursary.
Shared fourth places winners Liam Roubach from De Kuilen High School in Cape Town, Husnaa Motala from Westville Girls High School in Westville, and Raadiyyah Seedat from the Lenasia Muslim School in Lenasia each won a bursary of R10 000.
“The commitment of these learners – as well as the 3507 other pupils from 310 schools that participated in the 2016 NAO – to extra-curricular academic activities are a good indication that future generations are well on track to help South Africa achieve greatness,” says Ngobese.
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