The joy and the anguish of being a Matriculant
It is January 2025, and thousands of hopeful matriculants all over South Africa await their matric results in eager anticipation. Their stories, however, are not all the same. Meet Tshepang. For her, this particular period brings back a deeply dark and painful memory. Three years ago, Tshepang’s older brother, Thabo, found out that he had failed his matric. Feeling depressed, ashamed and like a complete failure, Thabo tragically took his own life. His family and friends were left inconsolably devastated.
Thabo’s suicide is unfortunately part of a common trend among matriculants, who believe that failing matric is the ultimate end of their world. Tshepang now finds herself in the same shoes as her late brother, and the pressure is immense. Her parents earn very little and the family struggles every day to make ends meet. The parents battled for years to put their 2 children through school and now, all their aspirations of a better future rest on Tshepang’s young shoulders – she must, by all means, succeed!
The joy of success and the pain of failure
Tshepang’s story is one of many, and it is not unique. The wait for one’s matric results can bring feelings of extreme stress and anxiety. As much as passing one’s matric exams can bring great joy, pride and satisfaction, going through the newspaper on the day of the results and not finding your name can be devastating. This often leads to feelings of shame, hopelessness and depression.
No names, please
Would it be better if your identity and your results were not published in newspapers for the whole world to see? Late last year, South Africa’s Information Regulator (IR) judicially sought to prevent the Department of Basic Education (DBE) from publishing the identities of students in newspapers, arguing that the action would violate the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act. As a result, the Department of Basic Education decided that the 2024 matric results would be published in newspapers, however, the students’ names and identity numbers would be omitted. This means that Tshepang will only see her exam number next to her results. This increased level of privacy could indirectly help minimize the shame factor that comes with a student’s identity being publicly published, along with their results
Don’t give up
Khutso Kapa, a Gauteng-based high school teacher, advises students to approach their matric results with an open mind and not view failing as the end of the world. He says “This is life, sometimes you win, and sometimes you stumble and fall. The most important thing is that you get up, dust yourself off and keep going. I encourage the students who did not make it to consider other options that can help get them back on track. These options may include taking supplementary exams or doing some short courses.”
According to the Department of Basic Education, close to 900,000 students registered for the 2024 matric exams. Tshepang is one of them. She has given it her all, she has run her race, right up to the finish line. Now her friends are waiting, her community is waiting, her family and her parents are waiting. Tshepang is waiting, praying and hoping to see herself holding that certificate in her hands, which will be the key to unlocking her dreams and creating a better life for her and her loved ones. Should she not succeed, however, may she have the courage and patience to get up and try again. Good luck, class of matric 2024! The world awaits you and your greatness!
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Sources:
https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/basic-education-urged-to-address-alleged-sale-of-matric-results/
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About the Author:
Paul Mabote Is an activator, a creative writer and a storyteller.
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