[YCLSA Discussion] YCLSA: Stop publishing matric results in newspapers!

[Dominic Tweedie]

Young Communist League in matric plea     Amukelani Chauke and Retha Grobbelaar, The Times, Johannesburg, 26 September, 2011   Young Communist League secretary Buti Manamela has called on the government to stop publishing matric results in newspapers because, he says, it contributes to the high suicide rate among teenagers.   Manamela said in Johannesburg yesterday that the league will propose to the departments of basic and of higher education that the publication of matric results in newspapers be scrapped to spare pupils who fail "embarrassment" and "humiliation".   "Why must we embarrass millions or thousands of young people who write their Grade 12 examinations? They become a laughing stock of the entire township," Manamela said.   "There are serious cases wherein young people commit suicide because they were not in the newspapers, and then later on they find out that they actually passed.   "We are also worried that the benchmark of passing or failing in life is determined by Grade 12, and it is quite a cause for concern whether you regard it as having made it in life or not, and that pushes young people to the brink of suicide, [with] no alternative, and [they] pursue drugs, prostitution and all sorts of things," Manamela said.   Last week, The Times reported that 96 pupils had committed suicide since the beginning of the year in Eastern Cape. The provincial education department said the deaths were caused by a combination of factors, including domestic violence, bullying at schools, peer pressure, poverty and the high prevalence of HIV and Aids.   "I can say this from personal experience: I was not in the newspaper because there were results that were pending," Manamela said.   "But, because there was a supportive environment and because some of my friends had really failed, we all supported each other, only to realise when I went to get my matric results that I had really passed.   "Maybe one of the things that may have to be looked at when indeed the results have to be published is to publish the identity number or the student number of that student," he said.   Basic Education spokesman Panyaza Lesufi said the department would be willing to meet the Young Communist League to discuss the idea.   "We are open-minded about any suggestion that enhances education. Let's hear their arguments before we express views," he said.   Professor Kobus Maree, an educational psychologist at the University of Pretoria, agreed with Manamela, saying the Basic Education Department should publish results by exam number to protect pupils.   "Results are a private matter. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Who gives the education departments the right to publish results using the names of pupils?"   Manamela said that the Young Communist League would host a jobs-for-youth summit next month to discuss plans and ideas to suggest to the government to address the high unemployment rate among young people.   From: http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2011/09/26/young-communist-league-in-matric-plea       -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to yclsa-eom-forum@googlegroups.com or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email yclsa-eom-forum-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): yclsa-eom-forum-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com .