After watching the matrics of 2020 endure a rollercoaster year, the class of 2021 are expecting their final year of school to be filled with similar ups and downs. However, they’re ready to take it on the chin and see the positive side of matric in the shadow of a pandemic.
Jonty Schkolne, 17, the deputy head student at Herzlia High School, says, “I think we all know that this year will be different. It even started off differently as we did online lessons for the first two weeks of this year. Luckily, we have experience in different types of school years, and will be able to adapt to anything that life throws at us.”
At the same time, he’s hoping for a relatively normal year, “as matric is supposed to be one of the best years of your school career. I hope that we are able to experience all the highlights of the year, with minimal interference from COVID-19.” Schkolne is concerned about the possible cancellation of matric milestones like the matric dance, “but the matrics of 2021 are used to a bit of disappointment and are expecting that maybe some of our events will be cancelled or look different to previous years”.
“I’m grateful to say that if schools do suddenly close, I would be able to continue at home,” Schkolne says. “I spent the majority of last year doing school online, and I know what works for me. My school is also able to provide proper online lessons and resources, and I feel that I get just as much out of an online lesson as I do in a physical lesson at school.”
On not being able to socialise, he says, “Obviously, nothing is the same as seeing my friends at school, but luckily there are many other ways to socialise online – through social media and WhatsApp. Last year, I didn’t see one of my best friends for five months, but we made the effort to video call and keep in touch.
“We’re all taking it day by day and trying not to worry about the effect COVID-19 will have on our matric year,” he says. “We are kept so busy with tests, assignments, and assessments, we don’t really have time to think about the ‘what ifs’.”
But Dani Furman, 17, at Edenvale High School in Johannesburg, fears going back to school online. For her, the pandemic might mean “not being able to finish the syllabus on time, and not getting enough face-to-face interaction that we would usually get in the school year”. She says she finds online learning stressful, and government schools in particular may have to shut down suddenly.
“During lockdown last year, our school didn’t offer much of an online aspect. We do have Google Classroom, but there’s no online teaching going on – it’s all self-study,” she says. “So, a lot of the time I was joining other school’s lessons, going over past papers, and doing revision, just to make sure I did the best I could. If we had to go into another lockdown, it obviously wouldn’t be ideal. And I really enjoy being in the classroom, communicating with my teachers, and asking questions.
“I would feel bad for the people around me,” Furman says, “because not everyone has access to facilities like Wi-Fi or computers. Some of my friends don’t have cell phones, computers, or books, so it’s very hard for them. They can’t even interact with friends, and it’s difficult to get the work. But the school assists them, and as friends, we help each other out.
“My hope is to do as well as I can, given the circumstances of COVID-19,” she says. “It’s a whole new world we’re living in and it’s tough to adapt to these changes and new ways of study. Obviously, everyone hoped the year would be normal, but I did accept that this year was going to be different. We’re still going to be wearing masks, we’re not going to be having close contact with people, and we can’t hug our friends when we see them – which is part of the school environment and just being human. I’m still accepting every day that things aren’t going back to normal anytime soon.”
Regarding missing milestones, Furman says, “In all honesty, the matric dance is the least of my concerns. All I want is to finish my school year, and for everyone to pass and do well.” Not seeing friends would be hard for her. “I’m very much a people person, I love interacting and seeing friends – I’m a social butterfly.” Under lockdown, she and friends with internet access met on a Zoom call once a week to catch up and check in with each other.
“If you managed to get through mentally last year, you got an ‘A’ in life,” she says. “It wasn’t about putting pen to paper, it was about being able to cope with the year.”
Shaina Resnik, 17, of King David Linksfield says, “My hope for my matric year is to reach my full academic potential but still have some balance and spend time with my friends and family doing things I love.
“I fear that I may not have the volunteering opportunities I would have had, and won’t be able to gain the experience that would aid me in the medical field due to the pandemic. I do fear that COVID-19 may mean the cancellation of major events like the matric dance, but it’s more important for everyone to be healthy.”
Although there has been endless debate about the merits of online learning, Resnik feels that a sudden switch to Zoom classes during her matric year probably wouldn’t trip her up. “I worked very well during online school [last year], and I found myself more productive and having more time for myself. However, I fear for the students who are less privileged than me as they don’t have the facilities for online school. If schools close, they will be at a huge disadvantage.”
If schools closed suddenly, she would miss seeing her friends each day. “However, I will keep in touch with them through WhatsApp and social media.” She points out that there are “definitely benefits to not being able to go out and socialise every weekend, as this will give me more time to focus on school work”.
