MORE than 900 000 matriculants are in the process of writing their final exams, and the expectation is that they must do well irrespective of any negative forces they could be facing.
Matric pupils face many challenges that some couldn't even imagine, which is shocking, especially after so many years of democracy in Mzansi.
Preparing for exams has become more challenging than writing the actual papers. The less spoken about load shedding, the better.
While others have had to manoeuvre studying without lights, matriculants from informal settlements don't even know the switch plug. They are used to the peach-black darkness that a candle can only chase away.
Crime, school infrastructure, harsh climate conditions, and other social challenges experienced by pupils, especially in government schools and deep rural areas, are a concern.
Recently, in Mpumalanga, close to 63 pupils were traumatised after gunmen entered the school while they were camping and preparing for their exams.
They were robbed at gunpoint, and shots were fired as they were cornered. The grade 12 pupils were left traumatised after thugs stole tablets and other valuable items.
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The incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, 3 November, at Ngazi Ndhlovu Secondary School in KaBokweni.
Meanwhile, matriculants at Mphiri-O-Tee Secondary in Limpopo are forced to write their final exams in a tent.
This was brought up by the issue of a shortage of classrooms at the school in Ga-Mamatlepa, outside Tzaneen in Limpopo. The school only has seven classrooms with approximately 404 pupils. Some pupils are forced to write exams in a shack.
Also, concerns were raised a week before the matric exams began in KZN. That's because pupils in Mtubatuba, KZN, had no place to write their final examination after their school collapsed.
Most schools in Mtubatuba were badly damaged by the storm that hit the area this year. Despite this, KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube had urged the relevant departments to repair the damaged school so the pupils can sit for their exam. Hopefully, such is being done.
Such challenges have made matric exams harder for the affected pupils, but only the best results can be expected.
