Equal Education (EE) wishes each and every candidate in the national matric examinations the very best. We encourage them to work hard and remain focused, and call on all those who are able, to support the candidates in their exam preparation. We would also like to wish department officials and examiners the best in this busy time. A special ‘good luck’ to EE’s Community Leadership participants who, after a year of exceptional hard work, will be re-writing a number of their matric subjects with the aim of improving their grades.
We should not forget that South Africa’s Grade 12 learners are writing examinations under vastly unequal conditions. Learners from especially poor and working class communities must contend with problems like poor and substandard infrastructure, textbook shortages and high teacher-learner ratios, which impact on their ability to study and learn. Yet, despite these and other challenges, a large number of learners demonstrate daily how serious they are about their education, and demand that their right to a decent education be realised. We call on all sectors of South African society to listen to and support these young people, and to actively work alongside them for equal and quality education for every person in South Africa.
