Dear Matric Class of 2022,
On Monday, you wrote the first paper in what is arguably one of the most crucial exams of your young adult life. The pressure is no doubt overwhelming and the expectations on you are high.
You are battling a number of challenges on several fronts. You bore the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic while in Grade 10. When the pandemic hit, your learning was severely disrupted while plans were made for the cohort of matriculants and Grade 11s of that year.
For months on end, many of you – particularly those in the poorer schools with no access to a mobile device and internet connectivity – did not have any teaching time in a classroom.
Some of you eventually attended school, but only once or twice a week as schools battled with social distancing requirements.
You have been subjected to a curriculum system that was trimmed, and instead of having the chance to sit for exams over the last two years, you wrote controlled tests instead.
And if that was not already enough to contend with, the rolling blackouts implemented by Eskom have thrown in another curve ball.
Not only is this a problem for the venue when you are writing the exams, but the more concerning problem is that many of you will have to study by candlelight or lamps in your homes.
And because there is no end in sight to the load-shedding, you are forced to adjust your lives and study routine around the blackout schedules. That is the unfortunate state of affairs.
The next five to six weeks, depending on the subjects you write, will be a trying period for you all. But the challenges you face are not insurmountable.
If you have put in the work, and remain focused despite all the challenges you face, you can achieve great results.
And if you do not attain the results you would have liked, it is not the end. You can certainly try again and work hard to improve your marks.
Best of luck to you, our future leaders.
HeraldLIVE