Class of 2021: Helping a family member who failed to pass matric

South African learners received their matric results this week. 

Matric, unlike any other grade, is a milestone. Passing it opens doors of opportunity that allows the student to pursue a course that will ultimately guide what they become in life. 

However, it's not everybody who passes matric the first time around. Some children, due to circumstances, might have not made it. 

COVID-19 also came with a lot of challenges and affected a lot of learners' physical and mental health, with some even losing close family members. Learning was also disrupted in some schools when teachers and learners tested positive for COVID-19. 

If it happens that your child or family member didn't pass matric, it is important that you offer them support. 

Some kids might find themselves feeling like a failure, and might even attempt suicide. 

But with your support and help, they will understand that it is not the end of the world. There are many people around the world who have repeated matric and still went on to become great in life. 

READ: Matric pass rate inches up to 76.4%

Offer support 

The learner might be feeling disappointed in themselves and feel like they have disappointed the family. However, with support and letting them know that failing matric doesn't mean they are a failure, they will feel strong enough to stand up and try again. 

It is also crucial to let them know that matric does not define them or the success of their future. 

Find out why the learner didn't pass

One of the important things to do is to have a conversation with your family member about what led to them not passing. Don't just assume it is because they didn't study enough. There might be underlying issues that they hid that affected them and opening up will help them deal with the issues. 

Many learners deal with a lot of things such as peer pressure, bullying, mental issues etc. So, find out the root cause and make sure to deal with it so that the same mistake doesn't happen again. 

Seek professional help 

Sometimes the learner might need professional help or the kind of help that you might not be able to assist them with. Learners who are dealing with trauma and other mental issues might need to seek help from counsellors. 

It is also advisable to talk to the child's teachers to find out more about the learner. If your child is struggling academically, then they might need extra classes. 

Image courtesy of iStock/ @Julio Rivalta

READ: Expert advice on how to deal with disappointing matric results