The 2022 Matric results are set to be released this week. Over 900,000 matriculants wrote the exam, a 3% increase over 2021’s participants, comprising full-time and part-time learners from all nine provinces.
Scores of matric learners are waiting impatiently for their results. Close to a million matriculants set for last year’s examinations. However, not all of them will be present to celebrate the release of the results.
The 18 year old Nohlanhla Khumalo from Senawana Junior Secondary School in Soweto has been missing since new year’s day.
She was allegedly abducted by unknown men while relaxing with friends at a local park. One of her friend was murdered.
Nonhlahla’s cellphone was later traced in Alexandra, but police are yet to arrest anyone.
Her cousin Masego Qwele says, “This is really hurt breaking for the family. We didn’t expect anything like this to happen. As we are saying we are waiting for her results. And she was planning to study further this year. It is really, really sad.”
According to education activist Hendrick Makaneta, despite having spent twelve years from grade one to grade twelve, some of the students were unable to complete their final school year for a variety of reasons.
“And this is a cause for a great concern, and there might be some reasons for this which the department has not adequately addressed, such as teenage pregnancy, employment, poverty, and drugs, as well as criminal matters, which is also affecting learners in their terrain of education.”
SADTU’s Mugwena Maluleka is urging parents to give support to learners as they await the release of the results. He says this may help minimize the level of anxiety.
“Our appeal therefore is that the people of our country just rally behind our students and their parents as they will be making choices about their future and give them the support that they require. As the people of this particular country, let us continue to be supportive of our teachers, our students, and our schools in order to improve the quality of our examination outcomes, in particular the matric results.”
Ben Machipi from the Professional Educators Union believes the release of the results a week after the lessons have already begun could be the result of the aftermath of COVID-19. He believes this is a disadvantage for learners who might wish to register in order to repeat grade 12.
“But with time, I think there are signs that we will gradually revert back to our usual way of releasing the results in the first week of January. Non the less learners who shall found out they would have not made it in the matric exams, they shall have not lost much in the two weeks that we shall have covered.”
Umalusi will on Monday morning brief the media and Basic Education officials on the pronouncement of both public and private schools results before the release on Wednesday and Thursday respectively.
