UNGQONGQOSHE wezeMfundo kulesi sifundazwe, uMnuz Kwazi Mshengu, uchaze unyaka ka-2021 njengonyaka obunzima kubafundi bakaGrade 12 esifundazweni ngenxa yobhubhane oluqhubekayo lwe-COVID-19 kanye nezibhelu zomphakathi zangoJulayi.
Othisha, abafundi kanye nezikhulu bazibophezele esikhathini sokuhlolwa kokugcina ngendlela enobulungiswa njengophawu njengoba bethathe isifungo sokwethembeka kubhalwa izivivinyo zikamatikuletsheni zika-2021 okwenzeke esikoleni sabanga aphezulu eLamontville, ngaphambi kokuqala kokubhalwa kokuhlolwa okuqale ngoLwesithathu olwdlule.
IKwaZulu-Natal yisona sifundazwe esihlonzwe njengesibe nesibalo esiphezulu sabafundi bebanga lika-matric kuleli uma kuqhathaniswa nezinye izifundazwe ezingu-8 zaseNingizimu Afrika. Abafundi bakamatikuletsheni bakuleli baqale izivivinyo zabo zika-2021 ngo-Okthoba 27.
Ngemuva kweziyaluyalu zika-2020, kulo nyaka kubonakale kuyinselele efanayo. Ubhubhane lwe-COVID-19 oluqhubekayo kanye nezibhelu zangoJulayi zibangele ukungahambi kahle kwezinto ohlelweni lwezemfundo. Kwezinye izimo, izikole zavulwa ngaphambi kwesikhathi futhi zavalwa kamuva ukuze kubuyiselwe isikhathi esilahlekile.
UMnuz Kwazi Mshengu, uthe nakuba kunzima ukuqagula imiphumela yalo nyaka kodwa unethemba lokuthi abafundi bazokwenza kahle. “Lolu hlelo lwamaphuzu ayi-12 lugxile kulezi zindawo ezilandelayo; kwaba ukuthuthuka kokuphasa ezifundweni ezinkulu ezifana ne-Mathematics, iSayensi, i-Economics, njalonjalo. Ukwenziwa ngcono kwabafundi abasengcupheni, labo bafundi bathuthukiswa kusukela kwibanga lika-11 kuya ebangeni lika-12 ngokuhambisana nenqubomgomo yokuqhubeka kohlelo.
Kubalulekile ukujwayeza abafundi ngendlela yamaphepha emibuzo nokubhekana nokulahlekelwa isikhathi sokufunda nokubhekana nokushoda kwesikhathi ngokusebenzisa amathuba okufunda ngobuchwepheshe nokusebenzisa ngokunenzuzo ubuchwepheshe obutholakala ezikoleni zethu,”kusho uMshengu.
UMshengu uveze uhlu lwabafundi abazobhala izivivinyo zokugcina zika-matric kulo nyaka. “Isifundazwe saKwaZulu-Natal sikhulu kuleli. Sinesibalo esikhulu futhi sabazoqaphe ukubhala abangu-201 107 basebenza ngokugcwele nangokwesikhashana okubona abayisibalo esikhulu kunabo bonke kule minyaka eyisithupha edlule.
Sinabafundi abangu-178 262 abafunda ngokugcwele futhi sinabangu-22 845 abafunda ngezikhathi ezithile, okwenza isibalo sabafundi abangu-201 107 abazobhala izivivinyo. Isifundazwe sinamagumbi okubhalela izivivinyo angu-6 704, abagadile bangu-6 022, amaphuzu angu-13 okuphuma kuwo amaphuzu nangu-102 okusatshalaliswa kwamaphepha ezivivinyo.”
ULethokuhle Cele, umfundi wasesikoleni samabanga aPhezulu eLamontville, uthe usebenzisa amandla awathole ngezinselelo zakhe kulo nyaka, ukusebenza ngokuzikhandla nokukhiqiza imiphumela emihle.
“Bekunzima kakhulu ngoba kwesinye isikhathi uvuka ekuseni uthole ukuthi omunye ofunda naye usehlolwe ukuthi unalo leli gciwane futhi kuzosabisa kodwa ngenxa yazo zonke lezi zinselelo sikwazile ukuba lapha.” Umthelela we-COVID-19 hhayi kuphela kubafundi ngokwabo kodwa nemindeni yabo uyaqhubeka. Abafundi uLiam Marshall no-Anele Gumede baseGrosvenor Boys High School naseMowat Park Girls High, bathe ukubona ontanga yabo belahlekelwa abantu ababathandayo ngisho nabazali ngenxa ye-COVID-19 bekunzima ukubhekana nakho.
U-Liam Marshall uthe, “Bekuyisikhathi esinzima kakhulu, kodwa kukho konke ukuzikhandla nokuzinikela esikubeke kukho, ngikholwa ukuthi sizophumelela kahle kakhulu. Kufanele sibe abangani abakhulu nothisha, singakunaki konke ukuhlangana okubi nokubi futhi sizihlanganise nabantu abazokusiza uye phambili.”
U-Anele Gumede uthe, “Bekunobunzima obekukhona, okwenze izikhathi ziba nzima kithina uma kuza ekufundeni, ukulova ezikoleni, ukuncipha kwezinsuku zesikole kusho ukuncipha komsebenzi owenziwayo. Ngakho, ekupheleni kosuku, bekunzima ngempela kumatikuletsheni walo nyaka. Ngakho-ke, ngigxile emaphepheni adlule futhi ngandise izikhathi zami zokufunda.”
Othisha uThandi Tsotetsi noSbusiso Khanyile bazwakalise ukubethemba abafundi babo. UThandi Tsotetsi uthe, “Ngikhuluma impumelelo ngawe. Ngikhuluma amabanga, futhi lona unyaka wenu. Uzobe usumamatheka ezikhungweni zemfundo ephakeme.”
USbusiso Khanyile uthe, “Kube wunyaka onzima njengoba abanye abafundi bebephelelwe umdlandla wokuza esikoleni. Bekumele siphushe sizame ngakho konke okusemandleni ukuthi siqinisekise ukuthi siyasiqeda isilabhasi.”
UMnyango wezeMfundo eyisiSekelo uphoqeleke ukuthi uhlele ukuthi kuqale izivivinyo zokuphela konyaka ngaphambi kwezinsuku ezine, ukuze kuhlangatshezwane nokhetho lohulumeni basekhaya obelungoMsombuluko, Novemba 1.
Abafundi belungiselela ukuqala kokubhala okuqale ngoLwesithathu olwedlule****
