Opinion - As the class of 2017 settle into their final week of the National Senior Certificate exams, the momentum of the process remains sturdy, but mental exhaustion settles in.
Accompanying that is an undeniable sense of finality.
For the greater part of the year, all our pupils think about is arriving at the final examination.
Fear of the unknown envelopes them as they embark on what is said to be the most difficult examination they will ever encounter.
Now, upon reaching the end of this journey, pupils are faced with new quandaries.
At this juncture, a pupil knows his or her true potential. As the internal tug-of-war of whether or not they will pass or fail the exams wages on in their minds, subconsciously they may already know the overall results of their hard work (or lack thereof).
Emanating from thoughts of reaching the end, a new sea of questions and uncertainties faces them. Where to from here?
I recall the many farewell speeches I had given to my matric pupils over the years.
I would always end by reminding them of the reality which they would face at the end of the examinations - in that for the last decade or so of schooling they were officially on holiday at the end of the school year, whereas at the end of the matric year, they are officially unemployed.
A deliberate shock to the system.
For most pupils, finishing in the top tier of high achievers is not attainable.
Mainstream schooling does little to prepare pupils for the harsh reality of the world that lies ahead. Nor does it allot time to adequately discuss their options on achieving a matric pass.
Both parents and pupils need to understand that there are three types of passes a pupil can attain once the results have been issued.
Bachelor's: to gain entrance into any university or degree course.
Diploma: to gain entrance into any diploma course.
Certificate: to gain entrance into any certificate course.
The type of pass achieved would be determined by the course of study which the pupil chose in Grade 10.
It may also be determined by the pupil’s performance, in the case where a pupil sits to write for a bachelors pass, only to receive a diploma pass.
The KZN Department of Education is aiming for a pass rate of 76%. This invariably means that over 40 000 of the 169 023 registered pupils are expected to fail.
All is not lost, however.
Parents must be cautioned not to make unrealistic demands on their children as undue pressure may hamper their performance.
Candidates must remember that failing, or not meeting expectations in the matric exam, is not the end of the world - lest we forget those who contemplate suicide on not meeting their parents', teachers' or peers' expectations.
No matter the outcome of the examinations, parents should provide support and guidance to their children.
Once the results are issued, on January 5 next year, pupils who do not pass may be eligible to write a supplementary exam.
Some pupils may also choose to upgrade their marks by applying to rewrite certain subjects in 2018.
The option of having their papers re-marked or re-checked is also available should pupils want a second opinion on their marks.
These processes, however, do take time and adversely affect entrance into tertiary institutes.
Statistically speaking, not everyone who achieves a bachelor's pass will enter the gates of a university.
The reasons for this are myriad. Some of the key reasons are either finance-related, a case of demand exceeding supply or, to some extent, quota systems that universities have in place, which limit the number of students entering the university based on demographics and historical circumstances.
There are other alternatives to university.
Those candidates, who are not strong academically and don’t meet the university requirements, or who are technically inclined, could instead apply to TVET (Technical Vocational Education and Training) colleges. These institutions offer a number of skills-based and service-related education streams. Students hailing from TVET colleges could either join the private sector or become entrepreneurs.
The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa in KZN has a large TVET membership and is currently developing professional development courses to ensure that students benefit from a high standard of tertiary education from such service providers.
The presidency recently released the report on the commission of inquiry into the feasibility of making higher education and training fee-free in South Africa.
This commission was initiated after the #FeesMustFall campaign, which began in 2015.
The report has been generally welcomed as it seeks to find ways of making tertiary education accessible to all South Africans.
This would largely be done by providing state-backed loans to students, payable upon graduating and entering the workplace.
It further suggests that students at TVET colleges receive free education in the form of grants that cover the full cost of study.
Many stakeholders in education would acknowledge that TVET colleges could address our country’s skills shortage and address a major gap in our economy.
What lies beyond the matric exam may indeed be uncertain for many in the class of 2017.
One thing is for sure though - it is not the end of the road by any stretch of the imagination.
It is simply the beginning of the next phase of one’s life. The opportunities that present themselves may largely be a consequence of how much emphasis candidates place on school and the final exams.
When concluding the end of a chapter in one’s life, few words ring truer than the chorus of the song Closing Time by Semisonic, in which they sing, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end”.