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Expert says it is not over if you fail matric

With learners receiving their Gr 12 results this week, a social worker has cautioned learners and their parents to stay positive even if their results are not what they have expected.

Tsakani Malungani of Future Families in Tzaneen, advises parents and guardians to support the learners despite the outcome of the results. “It is very important for parents to give support at this time because generally, young people want to make their parents proud. “They want to still feel validated by their parents even though they may have failed.

The validation from their parents will help maintain their mental health,” she says. Malungani says that youngsters who fail or do not pass as expected must know that it is okay to feel sad. “It is supposed to hurt because Gr 12 is a great milestone in one’s life and that is associated with great emotions. “Failing is not the end of the world, but life continues, and your dreams are still valid,” she adds.

Also read: Grade 12 results outcome

She says it is important to seek help if you are not coping. Help is available from the social worker at a local clinic and hospital. In the past, there have been incidences where learners who failed their matric, commit suicide. Support to failed learners is available at organisations such as through the ‘MatricUngazibulali’ campaign, translating to, ‘matric, don’t kill yourself’.

The campaign seeks to motivate, educate, encourage, and give hope to youngsters, especially Gr 12 learners who failed, and their parents. The campaign was birthed through Dr Sanele Gumede’s personal experience. He failed grades 10, 11, and 12 twice and had to endure the disappointment of repeating grades.

This taught him resilience as he now boasts a PhD in cultural and media studies. According to the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP), up to 20% of high school learners have tried to take their own lives. Almost one in ten teenage deaths in South Africa every year are the result of suicide. Some of the suicide warning signs include joking or talking about suicide, depression, preparing for death, changes in personality, self-blame, and excessive feelings of guilt.

For help contact the suicide crisisline at 0800 567 567 or SADAG at 011 234 4837 or SASOP at 011 340 9000.

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Emelda Tintswalo Shipalana

Tintswalo Shipalana, a journalist for the Letaba Herald, has been in the media industry for over a decade. She started her journey in radio, but ended up in print which is her first love. She joined the Herald newspaper as a cadet in 2016, where she graduated with a journalism qualification from the Caxton Training Academy. She also has a qualification in Feature Writing from the University of Cape Town and a Media Management qualification from Wits University. She is completing her BA Communication Science degree with UNISA. She sleeps well at night knowing she is a voice to the voiceless and her work contributes to promoting local talent, businesses and service delivery. Her love for her community keeps her working hard every day.

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