“So Worth It”: Eldorado Park Couple Earn Grade 12 Certificates After 50, SA Applauds

• Edmund and Catherine Kaas from Eldorado Park registered with Hopeful Leaders Night School to complete their Grade 12 qualifications as adults
• The couple wrote their final matric exam together on 22 June 2026 and waited weeks to find out if they had passed
• South Africans celebrated the pair's achievement, with many sharing their own stories of going back to school later in life

An Eldorado Park couple proved that age is no barrier to education. They walked away with their matric certificates after completing Grade 12 together in their fifties.

Edmund Kaas, 50, and his wife Catherine, 51, registered with Hopeful Leaders Night School, a Johannesburg-based organisation that offers night schooling for adult learners. The couple sat their final exams on 22 June 2026 and received their results on 7 August. Edmund passed with a bachelor's pass, while Catherine achieved a diploma pass, according to a report by IOL News.

Read also

Tribute to Huttenpark Primary School learner moves South Africa

Their story resonated with thousands of South Africans who saw themselves in the couple's journey. The Kaases, both from the Eldorado Park community in the south of Johannesburg, chose to return to formal education at a stage of life when most people have long moved on from classrooms and textbooks.

Hopeful Leaders Night School offers a pathway for adults who did not complete their schooling, running classes in the evenings to accommodate those with daytime work or family commitments. See the post below:

Mzansi reacts to couple's achievement

South Africans flooded the comments with praise and personal stories of their own:

@Abtimbuti Abtimbuti said:

"A couple that studies together passed together, that's the lesson."

@Jan Putter shared:

"It is an achievement to obtain matric. I left school in 1969 with std 8. My mother cried so much because my dream was to become an Architect. Needless to say, I did my matric in 2016 and 17 the year I went on pension. City Power provides entrance and an exam local. To me it's a great achievement and my momma is happy in her grave. So worth it."

@Dayne Gilbert wrote:

"Well done."

Read also

True crime commentator examines Ethan Coetzee’s alleged control over Cameron cooks before her murder

@Cha Lee Mustafa joked:

"A couple that sleeps together pass together."

@Candice Van der Rheede added:

"Wonderful. Apply for a degree at Unisa. Applications are open."

@Michelle Maistry said:

"Well done to them both; however, a matric certificate or even tertiary education and degrees doesn't carry weight in South Africa anymore."

Other Briefly News stories about adult matriculants

• A remarkable 30-year-old man who is reportedly still completing his matric at a public school in Limpopo, capturing the hearts of many South Africans.
• Details about a young woman from KwaZulu-Natal who made the brave decision to return to Grade 11 at the age of 29.
• A woman showed people that she went back to school, starting from Grade 11, and she inspired others.

Source: Briefly News