After a long November and December exam period, and the months of studying and classes before that, finally, the matric class of 2022 have their results and can celebrate the end of their high school careers.
The Department of Basic Education has victoriously announced an 80.1 percent pass rate for National Senior Certificate (NSC) students in 2022, which means that thousands have also unfortunately not been able to pass the final high school year.
If you are one of those students – Relax.
You are still young enough that failing matric presents a small hurdle (yes, a small hurdle) in the grand scheme of your life even if it may not feel that way now or the elders in your life are telling you otherwise.
Hopefully, you have enjoyed your break and got some rest from the stressful matric year, and hopefully you are ready to embrace the new challenges this year will bring.
There are many alternatives out there for former matrics fresh out of high school and even for adults to earn their matric qualifications.
Here are a few options for students who want to improve their matric results:
Second Chance Matric Programme
The first option for students who are unhappy with their matric results is to register for the Department’s Second Chance Matric Programme. This is a government-run scheme that allows some learners who do not meet the requirements to pass matric or want to improve their results to rewrite certain exams.
Once registered, students will be able to take advantage of online lessons, teachers and other resources in a new journey to prepare for and rewrite the matric exams outside of a normal schooling situation.
To register for the programme online go to www.eservices.gov.za or visit any DBE office with an ID document and statement of results.
Students interested in entering this programme should register sooner rather than later as 8th February is the closing date for entries.
Online high schools and accredited adult courses
If you don’t wish to rewrite your exams via high schools or the NSC system, you can always register for an online high school or similarly accredited institution, of which there are many.
Matric College offers either a year or two-year course to complete your matric and earn an accredited matric certificate. Matric College focuses on an “amended” version of the NSC, and a different mark calculation process to normal high schools.
The matric certificate you can earn from this college will be accredited by Umalusi and the only entrance requirement is a grade 9 or equivalent. Adults who have long been outside of high school can also register to earn their matrics through the college.
Interested learners can also study ICB courses through Matric College. These courses offer certificates outside of matric qualifications and will increase your employment opportunities. The college also says you can use these courses to work abroad (such as in the UK).
Another option is the University of Cape Town’s online high school, which has launched its matric programme this year. All of the classes are entirely online, and it has low-cost options. For example, for your NSC, the fees are R2 195 per month.
It is important to note that the UCT online high school has come under increased scrutiny after the end of the 2022 academic year. Many students complained of technical problems with the school, some of which hindered their ability to pass.
These include claims of receiving wrong exam papers, receiving incorrect marks, losing access to the online portal and some students even received exam results that belonged to other students.
A school spokesperson told us that its technical issues are being worked on for the 2023 academic year.
Matric Bridging Courses
If you did pass matric, but were among the 69.8 percent of students that did not achieve high enough marks to study at university, fear not. You can still earn a tertiary degree or diploma after a year-long bridging course.
These courses, usually offered by universities themselves, allow you to gain a better understanding of more precise subjects in order to be accepted into degree programmes.
For example, you can use a bridging course to increase your mathematics mark in order to be accepted into programmes like medicine or engineering.
Universities like Unisa, the University of Pretoria, Tshwane University of Technology, University of KZN, University of Johannesburg, and many others offer these courses.
Each institute will have a different method of running the bridging course and different requirements for entry.
There, of course, is also the option to simply return to high school and re-do your matric year. For many, this option may seem like an impossible choice or an admission of failure. The truth is these peripheral feelings won’t matter to you in a few weeks and you will have the added benefit and advantage of having experienced the matric year before.
There are options available. Don’t give up.
