As if Covid-19 wasn’t enough to influence the matric results of 2020 and 2021, the matrics of this year are facing another pandemic, load shedding.
Before the final matric exams the Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, addressed the matrics and said load shedding won’t disrupt this year’s exams. “We have created a timetable that accommodates the load shedding schedule, with some exam papers written before or after the set times,” she said.
But according to some matrics load shedding does have a negative impact on their study times. “Some of us must study with our cellphone lights, while others use candles,” a student at Groenberg Secondary School said. “We are struggling, and if there is load shedding we cannot connect to the internet either.”
FinGlobal recently donated 100 LED lanterns to Hermanus High School after its CEO, Ryno Viljoen, saw the need for them in other schools. He donated another 300 to Qhayiya Secondary School in Zwelihle. The lanterns are issued on a loan basis to the learners who do not have access to lighting during power cuts. The lanterns will be returned at the end of the year and re-issued next year to a new group of Grade 11 and 12 learners. Each lantern will have a serial number linked to the learner.. A single lantern provides 1 000 lumen room-filling light and will be beneficial not only to the pupil, but also to their families.
