Durban - Pupils should not feel despondent about poor matric results, failing subjects or not seeing their results published in the newspaper, said a local clinical psychologist.
Hameeda Bassa-Suleman said she counselled many pupils who had become depressed due to their perceived poor results.
“We work on alternative ways to make the best of the situation because the reality is that there is always a solution to any problem you may face,” she explained.
“Pupils must also understand that a lot of times they may feel their results are bad but perhaps they have placed unrealistically high standards on themselves and need to rethink their goals or re-evaluate what they want from their future.”
She said that if a pupil was feeling suicidal about their results or if they knew of someone who felt like this, she urged them to encourage the pupil to get immediate professional help and counselling.
Childline KZN acting director Adeshini Naicker said parents need to remind their children that disappointing matric results were not the end of the world.
She said there were various options, including the remarking of papers and writing supplementary exams, as well as possibly repeating the matric year.
Naicker said parents needed to know that if they, at any time, felt that their child was not coping adequately, professional help needed to be sought.
Childline KZN has a 24/7 toll free helpline on 0800055555 with trained counsellors ready to assist both parents and pupils.
Pupils who did not pass matric and those looking to improve their results will be given the opportunity to rewrite their examinations in June. This includes pupils who did not write all six subjects. Registration for the 2019 exams is already open and will close on January 31.
The various applications can be made on the Department of Basic Education website www.education.gov.za