Failing Matric, finishing high school with low marks, or not being able to complete high school at all can be extremely discouraging for any learner. However, although it may feel as though you have nowhere to turn, learners should not fret, as there are always more options available to them.
Equivalent Courses
The first option includes looking at alternatives such as doing an equivalent course through a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college. TVET colleges offer learners who have at least completed their grade 9, the opportunity to complete their basic education studies. As such, learners are allowed to enrol for the completion of their National Vocational Certificate (NC (V)) at levels 2, 3 and 4, which are equivalent to grades 10, 11 and 12 respectively.
Unlike Matric, however, the emphasis at a TVEY college is on technical skills. Therefore, when you choose a course, you will have options such as IT, Business, Management, Hospitality, and many others.
In addition to doing courses in these subjects, you will also do 3 fundamental subjects:
- A first language
- Maths or Maths Literacy
- Life Orientation
Nevertheless, by completing an NC (V) level 4, learners who never completed their matric during high school can achieve an equivalent qualification at a TVET College, which will allow them to study further within the TVET system, and in some cases, they may even be accepted into university.
Redo Matric
Not only can you complete your matric for the first time at a TVET college, but what you may not know is that some TVET Colleges also offer the chance for you to redo Matric, either part-time or full-time.
Normally, you will only be able to register for the subjects that you’ve failed before or have done before and want to improve on; in other words, you cannot replace one subject with another. To pursue this, you will need to contact the relevant college and enquire about their options for redoing Matric.
Examination Rewrites
These are not the only options available to students, especially if they have failed matric based on examination results. If all you need is improved exam results, there are opportunities to rewrite the exams that you did not do well in during June or October of the year following your matric year.
