Thousands of matric learners are counting down to the release of the 2019 DBE examination results. Many of them are anxious as it is a difficult period for them. Experts have urged parents to support their children.
A learner from King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape, Anelisa Masiza, says the wait is stressful.
“The waiting is, I think – apart from getting the results – it is the most stressful part of it. I feel like it is making me more anxious as the time is going. It was great. It was stressful. There was a lot that needed to be done in such a short space of time, but yes, it was the best and the final exam was much more stressful. I could not sleep at night. There were times where I would literally not even sleep at night because I would wake at five o’clock to get ready for school.”
Zamo Mbele, a clinical psychologist from the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), says learners need all the support they can get.
“It is all-important to distance the result from the person. Failing at something does not make one a failure. Family and friends may also help the learner not to catastrophise and maybe rather acknowledge the disappointment and also think about plans A, B, C and d including researching opportunities for re-marking, verifying the mark and research opportunities to re-write in this new year.”
