During this matric exam period, thousands of learners need more than study time; they need food, transport, stationery, safe spaces, and someone to believe in them.
Starting last week, more than 700 000 matriculants sat down to write the most important exams of their young lives.
For many, the challenge isn’t whether they’ve studied enough – it’s more about whether they’ll have a pen to write with, a meal in their stomach, or a safe way to get to the exam venue at all.
According to the Zero Dropout Campaign, four in 10 students who begin Grade 1 will never matriculate or achieve an alternative qualification. Of the 1,2-million learners who started school in 2014, only about 778 000 reached Grade 12 in 2025. The reasons are rarely academic alone.
More than 2,7-million children live in households unable to meet their nutritional needs. Sixty-two percent of children under 17 live in poverty. Nearly 2 000 of the country’s more than 22 000 schools don’t offer economics at Grade 10, and more than 900 lack physical science – subjects that are gateways to careers in engineering, finance and science.
Overcrowded classrooms, ageing facilities and a shortage of teachers compound the problem.
“While one learner may be worrying about whether they have studied enough, another may also be wondering whether there will be food at home, whether they have electricity to study at night, whether they can afford transport, or whether there is even a quiet and safe place where they can concentrate,” says Nadine Horton, operations manager at Encounter Hope, an NGO that works in under-resourced schools.
Horton knows the difference that practical support can make. Earlier this year, Encounter Hope provided 1 500 stationery bags to learners at Lotus Fairview Secondary School. But the organisation’s work goes beyond material aid. Through assemblies and small groups, teams minister to learners, reminding them that they are seen and valued.
Transport is another critical barrier. More than 168 000 learners across South Africa still walk long distances or pay out of pocket for transport despite qualifying for government support.
“You don’t need to have a huge budget or run a large organisation to make a difference,” Horton says. “Speak to a school in your community and ask what their matric learners genuinely need.
“And to the students, your circumstances today do not determine what you are capable of becoming,” she says. “Ask for help when you need it. Take one day, one subject, and one exam at a time.”