Nokuphila Buthelezi, Tamia Anderson and Thobani Tshaya. Picture: Supplied.
Johannesburg - The lives of three matriculants, two in KwaZulu-Natal and one in Gauteng, have come to a standstill after their matric results were released with missing marks more than three weeks after the matric results were announced by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga.
The parents of these matriculants from the Class of 2022 have reached out to “The Star” for intervention after their problems went unresolved by the respective departments of education.
Concerned parent Angeline Anderson, whose daughter Tamia Anderson was a matriculant at the Randpark High School in Randburg last year, said she has been trying to get her daughter’s 2022 NSC results transcripts after they were misplaced by the department.
She said she had been to various district offices to have the results issued to her, but nothing has worked. She said her child is now paying the price, as she cannot register for the 2023 academic year while the results are still outstanding. She said even though the query has been logged and the department had promised to attend to the matter, the speed with which this was happening had left her concerned about the future of her daughter.
“The Department of Basic Education (DBE) misplaced her Afrikaans exam marks; hence, she is now paying the price. I have sent numerous emails, and all I am told is that they are busy working on it. The individual who has messed up needs to pay the price. The DBE needs to be exposed as they are now putting a child’s life on hold,” Anderson said.
She said time was running out for her daughter, who had applied to study at the University of Johannesburg.
“I have been dealing with two officials at the department in Braamfontein. Tamia has been placed in such an unfortunate situation that she has been declined at university due to no results. It has been a long and tedious wait that has put tremendous pressure on her.
“My daughter is in a state of despair and an emotional state due to this mishap by the department, which has not indicated when this issue will be resolved. Now I, as a parent, am now helpless and disappointed... UJ has given me the 9th as a deadline,” she said.
Elsewhere in Durban, Nomkhosi Shezi, who is the mother of another frustrated matriculant, Nokuphila Buthelezi, a former pupil at the Durban Christian High School, says she has been sent from pillar to post when she tries to enquire about the missing geography marks on her daughter’s matric statement.
“I am a frustrated parent with a frustrated child who received a statement with incomplete results. We have been going to and fro between the school and the department of education with no success for the last few weeks.”
Shezi said her daughter too was having problems being accepted at higher learning institutions due to the missing marks.
"Tertiary institutions cannot accept our children because of this issue. The school says it is not their responsibility, and we also went to the offices of the department last week and were told there was an electricity problem. We were promised that the issue would be resolved, but nothing has happened,“ Shezi said.
“The Star” has learned that the two matriculants are not the only ones running out of time to secure coveted spots at various institutions of higher learning across the country.
Parents of affected learners have reportedly opened a WhatsApp group as they try to engage the authorities to rectify the mishaps on their children’s matric statements.
Another matriculant affected by this is Tobani Tshaya, who says his results for geography are still outstanding.
“The issue has badly affected us as we have been rejected by higher learning institutions, and now with late applications already closed, our situation is dire.
“We hope and pray that even though the year does not look promising to us, we will at least get our marks after having visited the DBE in uMlazi to enquire about the marks,” Tshaya said in the group.
Buthelezi said last week that her uncle was turned away by the officials at the department’ offices in Durban after they were told there was no electricity.
Both the provincial departments of education were not available for comment at the time of going to print.
The Star