It’s that time of the year again as thousands of learners across the country will be sitting for their final year examinations. With potential future careers having been provisionally decided and high family expectations, learners often find exam time very stressful.
Although the trial examinations may be met with positive views by some learners, for others, it may have been a starting point to measure the pressure of what is to come. In this respect, it then doesn’t matter whether the learner has been doing well or not, exam time is bound to bring stress whether good or bad.
For the Eastern Cape Department of Education, it is the bad stress that is the cause for concern and needs to be held in check hence the introduction of the social support services. This support for learners is needed for those specially who cannot manage their stress levels before, during exams and after the results have been released.
Also, this is part of a bid to ensure that learners remain focused on their studies and to prevent bad consequences, for example, suicide, that are normally associated with failure to achieve the expected results. The aim of the Education Department is to raise awareness of how examinations stress manifests itself among students and to assist them by offering services on how to best manage it.
It is for this reason that all the province’s grade 12 learners who are due write their final examination in November are called upon to seek out the psychological assistance at the specified points in their respective districts as the department will avail them for to support these learners.
These officials will include, learning support coordinators, remedial advisors, therapists and psychologists and will offer this support to learners free of charge. The services will also be extended to learners’ family members as well, should such a need arise.
Enquiries:
Loyiso Pulumani
Cell: 083 275 0675
Tell: 040 608 4777
Bonnie Kopele
Tel: 040 608 4565
Cell: 072 641 2153
E-mail: buckopele@mweb.co.za
Issued by: Department of Education, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
14 October 2009
Source: Department of Education, Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecdoe.gov.za/)
