While the matrics from the Class of 2019 hunker down in front of their books in preparation for their final school exams in a few weeks’ time, it is worth remembering that parents and guardians also have an important role to play in ensuring their children perform optimally when the time comes, an education expert says.
“There is so much focus on the learners themselves, and how they can prepare mentally, emotionally and academically, but as most of their parents can attest, this period is also a nail-biting one for them, to say the least,” said Dr Gillian Mooney, Dean: Academic Development and Support at The Independent Institute of Education.
“Because while parents understand the importance of performing well and the consequences of not performing well or worse, failing, they can’t do much more than play a supporting role during this time,” she added.
However, parents and guardians should not underestimate the value of this support and the size of the contribution they can in fact make, she included.
She says there are a few ways for parents to support learners in the lead-up to the finals:
Keep your cool
Lack of sleep, anxiety, fear about the future and concerns about how well prepared a child is are all factors that impact on the emotional state of parents.
It is therefore of crucial importance that parents also take good care of themselves during this time so that they can regulate their own emotions and not contribute to heightened tensions and anxiety in the house. While it is important to sort out issues, arguments should be avoided as far as possible.
“Guide your child and assist with practical advice. Encourage them to get enough sleep and exercise, and talk through frustrations when they arise. But aim to not let your own concerns create an additional emotional burden for the studying child,” said Mooney.
Keep your perspective
Related to the above, it should be noted that much of the anxiety around final exams arise as a result of the belief that it is an all-or-nothing, watershed assessment for young people. While it is certainly of great importance, the big picture is also worth keeping in mind, Mooney said.
“Too many parents don’t understand the options available to learners should things not go as well as expected, and many don’t even know that there are options at all. So for instance, if a learner does not achieve a Bachelor’s Pass, redoing Matric in the hopes of doing better isn’t the only option. They could, for instance, enrol for a Higher Certificate, which is a bridge towards pursuing degree study without having to repeat matric."
Keep in contact with other parents
Another way to maintain perspective, is to keep in contact with other parents of matric learners, Mooney added.
“Matric final exams should not be tackled in isolation. Touching base with other parents will allow you to talk through issues and challenges, and more often than not you will find that you are not alone in your experience.
"So if your child is panicking about a specific subject or just exam writing in general, enlisting the support of other parents will allow you to determine whether you have a real, unique problem that needs to be addressed, or whether your experience is par for the course.”
Keep on top of your child's schedule
Learners focusing on their studies can easily lose focus of the bigger picture, which is why it is important for parents to know exactly what paper is being written when, and also what the child’s revision schedule looks like.
Mooney said that this is where parents can make a real difference to the effectiveness of their child’s efforts.
Keep it real
Finally, parents should know what their approach will be if the results come in and they are not what they hoped for.
“If it becomes clear that a learner may, despite their best effort, potentially need to rewrite a paper, it is not for instance a good idea to book a holiday in a far-flung paradise when the family may need to be back for the learner to be able to sit for a rewrite early in January.
“Additionally, remarking of papers is rarely a good investment as it mostly does not make a material difference to outcomes. So understand the options for whichever outcome may arise when results come through - also the options for learners who may perform better than expected and therefore unexpectedly qualify for further study."