Every January, as workers and pupils return to their usual schedules after the festive holidays, learners who wrote their final matric examinations wait in eager expectation for their results.
Many believe that these results determine their future – whether they progress to institutions of higher learning, seek employment, or repeat the grade. Repeating, for most, is often seen as the ultimate failure. A difficult phase shrouded in shame. Sadly, in the past, some learners who could not see beyond their unfavourable results have taken their own lives, but, in recent years, scores of people have rallied behind the #MatricUngazibulali campaign, a movement aimed at reminding learners that failing matric is not the end of their journey.

Dr Sanele Gamede, an award–winning strategic youth life and career coach who runs the campaign, explained that it was necessitated by the struggles of young people who found it difficult to accept their results after failing. Now marking its seventh year, the campaign has been instrumental in getting the message across that failing matric, or not doing as well as one hopes, is not the end of the world.

Read more: Minerva Secondary School principal aims to sustain historic 97% matric pass rate

Gamede uses personal story to inspire the masses

Gamede said when he started the campaign, he was using his personal story to inspire young people to have resilience, courage, and determination. His story is one that Alexandra learners, going through that difficult phase, need to hear, because he not only repeated matric, he repeated the entire further education and training (FET) phase. “I completed my matric and went back, and sharing that journey of doing grade 10, 11, and 12 twice, I have seen it impacting many young people, including parents who sometimes find it difficult to accept if their children did not do well.”

Now, as an accomplished lecturer and researcher who holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Cultural and Media Studies, and an honorary Doctorate Degree in Leadership and Management, among others, his story demonstrates that poor performance does not define one’s future. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of protecting one’s dreams, even during the most difficult of times. “The campaign goes as far as saying: ‘Don’t kill your dream’. People do kill themselves without literally killing themselves – by killing their dreams. This is what we have seen over the years. You would find that a person’s life is destroyed by a single decision not to go back to school to continue with their studies and ensure that they pursue a career that could change their lives.”

Also read: The Alex Field Band praises matrics in the streets

Dealing with stigma surrounding failure

Gamede acknowledged the stigma surrounding repeating grades, noting that it will always be there and there is not much one can do about it except to face it. He emphasised that for learners to get through it, they need a deep sense of motivation and determination. He said that, while some people may laugh at those repeating matric, determination is what will carry the learners through.

Additionally, he noted that learners also need all the support they can get when they go through that phase, including parental support. He explained that it is important for parents to support rather than judge their children. “Every parent whose child has received the results, I want you to embrace the results. It is not a time when you should be judging your child. I am sure, as a parent, if your child was misbehaving, you have spoken enough.

“I think it’s time for parents to be very supportive of our children. It is a time to win them over, even if your child was misbehaving. It is an opportunity to show them love and support, and to listen to what they want to do.”

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