Just months before the announcement of matric results, a ministerial task team reported the discontinuation of publishing personal details in newspapers.
Seeing your name in the paper when you are in matric has been a tradition for many years, however, the task team set up by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has dubbed the public display of failure reason to avoid this practice.
This decision has been met with mixed reviews from teachers and pupils. The class of 2014 at Allen Glen High School voiced their disapproval and contentment with the said introduction.
“I think this approach is perfect because it gives the pupils privacy. People can be really judgmental on how you did during the exams,” said matric pupil Millicent Manquma.
The new system was created to reduce the embarrassment pupils are subjected to when they receive disappointing matric results, which can result in suicide in some cases.
Wesley Gregoria, who just received his matric results, disagreed. “It really doesn’t make that much of a difference. At the end of it all, you still know how you performed, whether good or bad. You will still get people that will commit suicide and that has nothing to do with actually seeing your name in the paper.”
The release of matric results remains one of the more important events on the education calendar and parent Susan Richardson added, “I don’t really think it is a problem, but family members usually want to see their child’s name in the paper and they keep that as momento.”
