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It’s been a devastating year for the Class of 2022, which has had to deal with constant power cuts and the frustrating consequences of the COVID-19 lockdown.
File: Matric students taking exams. Image: Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG – Matrics across the country are writing the first of their final exams and many say the stress is starting to set in.
Around 200,000 students have registered to write their final exams at more than 6,000 writing centers since Monday.
It’s been a devastating year for the Class of 2022, which has had to deal with constant power cuts and the frustrating consequences of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Matric students in Gauteng have told Eyewitness News that they have pushed on despite mounting challenges as they have had to adapt to new learning methods in the wake of the power crisis.
It’s a weekday afternoon in Sebokeng Zone 10 when the home-time bell rings at Tuto-Tiro Comprehensive School.
As students linger outside the school gates, 17-year-old matriculant Mokati Molala hurries home.
He tells Eyewitness News that he has a tight schedule as he has to start dinner and finish as much studying as possible before load shedding starts at 4pm.
“I study at night and that’s when the power cuts [happen]. Sometimes we arrive late so I can’t study in the afternoon.
After the power went out, Molala, like thousands of South African students, relied on torches and candlelight to prepare for her National Senior Certificate exams.
Eskom has indicated that schools cannot be exempted from loadshedding and this puts the entire grid at risk. However, it says it will try to mitigate rolling power outages as much as possible.
But the challenges for the matric class of 2022 don’t stop there – 18-year-old Diamond Mia says this will be the first final written since the lockdown was lifted.
She says her classmates are still navigating the impact of those obstacles.
“Covid-19 really took a toll on us. I’m not going to lie that when you’re at home, I tried to study. The walk-in programs and spending more time with the teachers really helped us. .”
Despite working in partnership with Eskom, the Department of Basic Education says if all else fails, candidates will have an opportunity to resit the matric examination they missed due to loadshedding.
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