Stressed, anxious, ready? matrics count down

By Molaole Montsho

The wait that changes everything, Matrics hold their breath

The countdown is on, and anxiety is reaching fever pitch across the North West province. Karabo Monye, 17, cannot eat, cannot sleep, and cannot stop thinking about Tuesday’s matric results. “I am not ready at all. My parents are busy with the countdown. I am stressed. I cannot even eat,” she admits.

Some pupils are unsure what to expect, while others are quietly confident. Puleng Moemi describes her emotions as a whirlwind. “I am under pressure. I am not ready for the results. I am feeling a lot of things at once,” she said.

Keneilwe Moopi, meanwhile, trusts in her own preparation. “I do not know what to expect. I am even wondering if I did well on my exams. It is really stressful and nerve-wracking, but I trust myself, and I believe I am going to make it and make my family and friends proud, but most importantly myself.”

These three matriculants were among 45,336 candidates who sat for the 2025 National Senior Certificate examinations in the North West province, 41,813 full-time and 3,523 part-time pupils. The province, which secured fourth place nationally in last year’s matric results, has set an ambitious target of 95 percent for this year.

Provincial Education MEC Viola Motsumi said the province has pulled out all the stops to support pupils. “Our educators did everything to support and assist learners to improve their performance. We embarked on the Easter, Winter, and Autumn camps, including the incubation camps to assist learners with revision. Our educators went the extra mile to conduct extra classes after school and on weekends to support the Grade 12 learners,” she said.

“As a province, we are optimistic that the Class of 2025 will do extremely well, and I want to thank all our stakeholders who supported learners throughout the year,” Motsumi added.

The results for the North West Class of 2025 will be announced on Tuesday at Waterkloof Secondary School in Rustenburg, following the national release by Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube on Monday.