Matric students should not be told they ‘failed’: South African professor
Matric exam results are a source of joy for many, but if learners do not achieve the marks required for university admission it is not the end of the world and they shouldn’t be called failures.
This is the view of Kobus Maree, a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Pretoria, who asserts that the word ‘fail’ has no place in current society.
“Instead the phrase ‘insufficient achievement’ is more appropriate,” he said.
Maree, who has doctorates in career counselling, psychology as well as in learning facilitation in mathematics, said while your current marks will co-determine whether you will be accepted into your preferred field of study, they will not determine if you will be successful in life.
Nor will they limit your career prospects, he said.
“It hurts when one learns that the outcomes of an examination were less successful than expected. But step back emotionally and interpret the experience logically.
“All human beings experience success and are less successful from time to time. This is the most normal thing in the world.”
Performing insufficiently
Learners who performed insufficiently can apply for the remarking of their papers, register for and write supplementary exams, or even re-do their grade or repeat certain subjects, said Maree.
“However, there is no ‘one size that fits all’. Hard work is needed.”
“Also, remember that going to university is not the only choice. “One should not be set on a particular tertiary institution, whether it is a university, university of technology, college, or private training institution.”
He added that each study discipline and tertiary training institution should be rated on its own merit.
“A diploma in film studies or a technical qualification in wind turbine service can suit you as a person, but also be enriching.
“Several specialised diplomas and certificates allow for a range of career opportunities that can make students highly employable and provide them with more opportunities than some common degrees.”
Read: 4 tables and graphs you should see ahead of South Africa’s matric results
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