#MatricResults19 : Your marks don’t define your worth: Advocacy groups for mental health
"We place so much emphasis on this matric system. Just because a child did not make matric it does not mean that they will not go on to become a success, and parents need to remember that."
EVERY year the media focuses on the matric results and some experts believe this can have an adverse effect on the mental health of the youth as many young people feel helpless if they have not achieved what they wanted to.
A message sent around on many WhatsApp groups just after new year this year in South Africa, perfectly sums up the point many experts have tried to make before.
“No exam is worth your life” is the bold headline of the message which has now gone viral on social media.
“Matriculants across the country have worked tirelessly to complete their school careers and are eagerly awaiting the results of their hard work,” it begins.
“It is such a momentous occasion – and finishing a 12-year school career should be reason for celebration. However, for many students around the country, the results end up being a great disappointment.”
“The disappointment of not having achieved what they worked hard for may leave a teen feeling depressed,” it continues, urging parents to avoid creating an atmosphere where their children feel like a failure due to the results they receive.
“We place so much emphasis on this matric system. Just because a child did not make matric it does not mean that they will not go on to become a success, and parents need to remember that,” it explains.
ALSO READ: How to register for 2019 matric results with the help of Caxton Local Media and the DBE
The message which features much of the text from an article on the website of the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), an non-governmental organisation (NGO) which seeks to help people cope with depression and anxiety on a daily basis around the country.
“SADAG runs a counselling helpline that is open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm. Concerned parents, teachers or peers can contact a SADAG counsellor toll-free on 0800 21 22 23 or 0800 12 13 14, or SMS 31393,” says the message.
“We live in a world where performance is rewarded and judgements are made based on what we do and how well we do it,” says South African psychologist Lee-Ann Hartman in the original article on the SADAG website.
SADAG cites some alarming statistics. According to the figures they quote, 9.5 per cent of teen deaths in South Africa are caused by suicide and according to experts at SADAG, one of the triggers in these tragic deaths could be exam disappointment.
“There are children who have undiagnosed depression or who undergo a trauma or an experience that makes them more vulnerable, and this can be the final stress that causes them to commit suicide or use drugs,” says SADAG’s Dessy Tzoneva.
Even top learners at risk
However, it isn’t just those who don’t pass who are at risk.
“For a student used to getting straight A’s, a C is a failure and self-esteem and confidence can go for a serious tumble,” says Tzoneva.
“Failing a grade, failing matric or failing at university can feel like very public humiliation,” says a school counsellor named only as Pamela in the article. “Students often feel like everyone is laughing at them and judging them to be failures.”
ALSO READ: SA’s soaring teen suicide rate – how to spot the signs
SADAG cautioned learners to, rather than rely on impersonal second hand messages, to go get results from the school itself where there is the support of the other learners as well as the trained staff to help you with figuring out what your next step should be.
Speak to the school principal, teachers or counsellor about the possibility of writing a supplementary exam, applying for a remark, moving to an FET college or enrolling in a bridging course at a university.
Different doesn’t mean less-than
While at this time of the year where news outlets are focusing on the top achievers, it is important to remember that each learner or student is unique.
“We need to remember that we all have different strengths,” said Hartman. “What one sibling achieves may not be what their younger sibling can do well – but teachers, parents and students themselves often judge themselves according to prior standards.”
Hartman’s words are echoed by advice given by a retired teacher who used to spell out the danger of parents comparing their children to each other on the very first day of Grade 1.
“I always used to use my own children as an example, they all had the same parents, the same home environment and influences, but they couldn’t be more different to each other than if they were strangers,” she explained to the Highway Mail this year.
Ask for help
The SADAG article ends with the advice that hopefully with this message being spread far and wide, young people will take to heart and act on.
“Needing help and not asking for it is the only ‘big’ mistake you’ll make. We all need help from time to time – there will always be things that we’re not great at or things that someone else understands better than we do. Speak up and ask for help when you need it!”
For help contact a SADAG counsellor toll-free on 0800 21 22 23 or 0800 12 13 14, or SMS 31393 or visit the SADAG website at www.sadag.org.
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