Anxious matriculants urged to use counselling line
Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini has opened the department's Gender Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC) to matriculants who may be anxious about their examination results.
The matric class of 2016 will receive their results at midnight.
According to the department, reports of depression and suicide tend to increase during this time.
Dlamini has urged matriculants and their parents to make use of the Command Centre to receive counselling and support from trained social workers.
She is also appealing to parents to look out for any signs of depression expressed by their children so that they can be assisted to deal with the outcome of their examinations.
The Command Centre can be reached toll free on 0800 428 428.
Callers can also request a social worker from the Command Centre to contact them by dialling *120*7867# (free) from any cell phone.
"Callers can also interact with the centre using Skype. Just add HELPME GBV to your contacts and a social worker will accept the invite and call you back," says departmental spokesperson Lumka Oliphant.
Psychologist Melissa Boulind is urging matrics not to lose hope.
"There are many roads to get to a destination. If you find that there is a career that you are interested in, but you don't have the marks or you don't have the subjects that you require, maybe look into doing a bridging course or picking up an extra subject. Remember that there are a lot of successful people who did not have the greatest marks. They didn't get the best marks in matric, but they didn't let that stop them," says Boulind.