Before Covid-19 and all the restrictions of lockdown came along, Lisa Philemon, 19, of Randfontein Secondary School was excited to finally finish school this year.
However, with fewer school days as a result, Lisa said like many other Grade 12 learners, she is anxious about the exam at the end of the year. She said the coronavirus pandemic has left her stressed as she had to do a lot of work all on her own, which caused a lot of uncertainty.
“Grade 12 is challenging already, and now with Covid-19 bringing lockdown there is more pressure on us, because you are not only stressed about your academic progress, but you are also wondering if the person sitting next to you in the classroom is carrying the virus.
So how do you concentrate in the midst of all that?” Lisa asked, adding that the ordeal has affected her mental well-being.
Although Lisa has put in a lot of hard work – although at times she needed guidance – she is worried that her results may not be how she wanted to finish school.
“In the beginning we were so focused and we simply wanted to go to school, but now we have to carry this huge burden on our shoulders. Our matric year is just not the same,” Lisa said.
She said although she knows the morale is low among her peers, she urged the parents of the learners to keep showing support to their children during this difficult time.
2020 is a different year, and our results may not be the way we wanted them, but I believe by working harder we’ll make it, despite suffering this huge setback,” Lisa added.
