Tough, but some matrics will soar

The last year at high school – the one before you sally forth into the world of grown-ups – is always traumatic for Grade 12s … and that anxiety is amplified by the pressure of the matric exams.

In 2020, a year from hell, however, this critical 12 months of learning for matriculants has been badly disrupted by the coronavirus, its associated lockdowns and the psychological angst of seeing people getting sick and dying around them.

Then there is the stress of having to be on constant health alert by wearing masks and sanitising when classes were allowed to reopen.

This year has, indeed, been a trial by fire for most Grade 12s but those who emerge at the other side with a good matric pass will have showed they are made of stern stuff.

These are the ones who worked remotely and carried on studying when some of their classmates may have been treating the lockdowns as extra holidays and goofing off.

Matrics who successfully put the negatives of 2020 behind them will be the young people who can help chart a better future for this country, because they will have shown they can work through adversity and have discipline.

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