Called the Gelvandale High School Matric Project, it demonstrates how meaningful partnerships between a university and its surrounding communities can help learners achieve futures beyond the circumstances they face.
Lynn Schoeman, a lecturer in Applied Accounting at Mandela University, is the guiding force behind this project, which emerged from her desire to give back to Gelvandale High School where she matriculated in 1998.
“When I was a learner there, things were tough, but there was a sense of community and support, but when I revisited the school again in 2023 for a Mandela Day initiative, I could not believe how much the school had changed,” she explains.
The school principal at the time shared a troubling reality: “Many matric learners were struggling to prepare for their final examinations in an environment where the safety of learners even in at school could not be guaranteed. Some even feared coming to school,” Schoeman explains.
Gelvandale has gained a notorious reputation for gang violence and instability.
In response, Nelson Mandela University launched the project in 2023, opening its campus as a safe learning space for the learners during the crucial weeks leading up to their exams.
In 2023 the first group of forty-six matriculants came to campus for a series of structured study sessions.
For the majority of learners, it was their first experience of stepping onto a university campus. This year the project will take place again.
Lecturers from several departments volunteered their time to assist with subjects such as mathematics, mathematics literacy and life sciences - areas where learners often need additional support.
The programme also included campus tours, visits to the library and presentations on how to prepare for university studies.
In 2024 the programme returned stronger and more responsive to learners’ needs. Mathematics support was expanded after learners identified it as a key challenge, and second-year Diploma in Accountancy students volunteered to assist with logistics and mentoring.
?width=600&height=403)
In 2024, a similar size group attended the programme, and this time it doubled down on mathematics support after learners identified it as a pressing need.
Second-year accountancy diploma students volunteered to teach the school learners, bringing what Schoeman describes as “a powerful model of mentorship, with students who are closer in age to the learners, walking with them on the path from matriculation to potential careers.
The collaboration quickly extended across faculties, with mathematics, life sciences, and marketing teams bringing their expertise to address the learners’ questions.
Importantly, it also addresses barriers that many learners from under-resourced schools face when navigating the higher education system.
Learners received guidance on the university application process, their applicant score calculations and financial support options through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
For Schoeman, the project represents something fundamental about the role universities should play in society: “When institutions step beyond their walls and into communities, real change becomes possible. The impact of the project extends beyond exam preparation.
"By exposing learners to university life and offering practical support, it helps replace intimidation with aspiration. A simple but powerful message captured the spirit of the initiative: ‘I will not allow my current situation to dictate my future’.”
Schoeman recalls her matric years and how she pursued this same message. Raised by a single mother of four, she grew up in a household where opportunities were limited but determination was abundant. Her parents were divorced and money was tight, but she always believed that education could change the trajectory of her life.
“I remember thinking very clearly: this cannot be my future,” she says. “I wanted something different, and I knew that studying was the only way I could get there.”
Her journey to becoming an academic was far from straightforward. After school she pursued bursaries relentlessly. She initially received funding to study at Varsity College through the Ibhayi Trust Fund, but when that funding ran out she faced enormous uncertainty.
Eventually her church helped her secure another opportunity to study information technology. Along the way she worked in various roles, including as a hospital creditors clerk, while continuing to pursue her ambition of becoming an accountant.
Her perseverance paid off. After working at Coca-Cola, where she was offered support for part-time studies, Schoeman eventually completed her Master’s degree in cost and management, and joined Nelson Mandela University as a lecturer.
“I have always wanted to give back to the Gelvandale community, and this project represents something fundamental about the role of universities to participate in real change in their communities,” she explains.
The implications extend far beyond Gelvandale. If scaled across the country, this model could alter the matric experience for countless learners.
It offers an important lesson for South Africa. Educational transformation does not always require sweeping policy changes or massive budgets.
Sometimes it begins with listening to communities, building partnerships and responding with compassion, practical support. Initiatives like this demonstrate how hope can be rebuilt step by step, school by school.
As Nelson Mandela famously reminded the world, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”