Pretoria - There are always options, so if you failed matric, do not give up, say the experts.
“Our concern is those students who either failed or who didn’t do as well as they had hoped,” said Pieter Kriel, head of the business faculty at The Independent Institute of Education.
The first option is to write supplementary exams. “Do it and do the best you can,” said Kriel.
If that’s not possible because your results weren’t good enough, consider redoing the full year either by going back to your school or to a college that specialises in matric repeaters.
“There’s no alternative but to get matric,” said Kriel.
He urged matrics to be realistic with career options. “There are a lot of options,” he said.
Those who passed with university passes may not get into the universities or tertiary institutions of their choice.
Kriel recommended they consider other institutions.
But whatever tertiary education you sign up for, make sure the institution is properly registered and accredited. Avoid fly-by-night operators, warned Kriel.
He said there were plenty of privately run respectable tertiary institutions, which were registered and accredited.
“If nothing else works out for you, look for some kind of work,” he said.
Kriel said a “productive gap year” could be very helpful for those not sure of their future direction.
Pupils who failed to matriculate and who need advice or those feeling overwhelmed should get assistance.
Parents have also been cautioned to pay attention to their children who have failed matric or are disappointed in their results.
The SA Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag) said parents must look for signs of depression or suicide in the matric candidates.
Sadag operations manager Cassey Chambers said the most important thing parents and caregivers should know was what options were available for their children if they had failed or did not get the desired results.
“There are so many options… like supplementary examinations and bridging courses yet parents do not know enough about them.”
Parents needed to be able to identify the signs of disappointment and depression. “When a child is disappointed they will be down for a few days. But it is different if the child displays signs of disappointment every day for two to four weeks.
“This might mean they are depressed,” Chambers said.
She said parents did not have to wait for a month before getting their children help. “They can speak to their children and find out how they feel. If the children do not want to talk them, they can get someone from the community, the church or even one of our counsellors.”
Chambers said Sadag received a large number of calls from matrics during the year, but during the result season, they get calls from parents as well.
Candidates who feel that their marks are not what they expected can apply for a remark, at a fee, from the department.
Supplementary examinations can also be written in a few months’ time.
For those pupils who have done better than expected, the Department of Higher Education and Training has a dedicated unit to assist them to get admission to higher education institutions. Contact the Central Application Clearing House by calling 0800 356 635 or text the matriculant’s identity number to 49200.
Sadag (http://www.sadag.org ) said help was available to anyone in distress.
Sadag’s crisis line can be reached by calling 0800 567 567 or sending an SMS to 31393.
Pretoria News and The Star