Don’t despair – rise up and start again

When the matric results for 2016 were released for the Ilembe region only receiving 51.93%, this elation and headache combined as sucess and failure reared themselves among the thousands of matriculants.
The grim picture of KZN being among the worst-peforming provinces in the country has to be of concern. We may blame many factors for the poor results, but the reality is that our administrators of education need a serious revamp on how education is presented and run so that a significant improvment can occur.
I believe apportioning blame becomes meaningless, but seeking tangible and realistic solutions is important. I am a firm proponent of quality education, notwithstanding the many factors that may influence poor results. Admittedly, many of our school pupils still languish under impoverished conditions not conducive to proper learning. I am saying there can be no asset more valuable than good education. It is a passport for self-worth and a weapon for survival anywhere in the world.
To those who suffered disappointment, do not despair. Every road that ends in failure is an opportunity to start another, and as the classic saying goes, “It is not how many times you fall but the number of times you rise from those falls that determines your success.” And I truly bellieve that the race of life demands exactly that. Forget about how society views failure as they “do not walk in your shoes”.
Good luck to the matrics of Ilembe for 2016.
CLLR K NAIDOO
Mandeni