It was probably the toughest year in recent memory with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic turning everything upside down. Pupils lost parents, grandparents, friends, teachers and loved ones to the coronavirus. Some also contracted the virus but recovered. All these needed pupils to be mentally strong for them to pass their 2020 matric examinations.
Losing a loved one is never an easy thing, from which some people take longer to recover. Add to that the fact that pupils were forced to learn from home as increasing Covid-19 cases forced the closure of schools on more than one occasion.
The national lockdown necessitated pupils studying from home and attending virtual classes.
For some, especially in former model C schools, this was not an issue. But for pupils whose parents rely on social grants or whose families live on minimum wage, this was a hindrance.
It becomes more challenging in a rural province like the Eastern Cape as pupils not only struggled to get access to gadgets like tablets and smart phones, but also had to contend with poor network connections in the hinterland.
Yes, the Eastern Cape education department tried to level the playing fields by providing data and tablets to matrics — a questionable contract that cost R538m.
The pandemic exposed the widening gap between the haves and the have nots — with the need for a more inclusive education system thrust into the spotlight more than ever before.
And with the education department wanting to implement e-learning, 2020 showed that we still have a long way to go as we are yet to get the basics right, like having safe schools, sufficient teachers, stationery, sanitation and, and, and.
But through the challenges, pupils and teachers soldiered on, with some achieving impressive results. We congratulate all those who passed.
To those who did not get the results they were hoping for, this is not the end of the world but a minor setback that you will overcome.
After all, it was to be expected that matric results would be negatively affected by Covid-19, just like everything else.