There has always been a mixed reaction to the tradition of publishing matric results. Those in favour of the tradition see it as a public pat on the back for work well done. Those against it see it as just more pressure on already over pressured youth that might have catastrophic consequences if your name does not appear in the paper.
The original aim of the publishing of matric results in the newspaper was to assist pupils who were on vacation and were unable to get to their respective schools to collect the results. This is no longer the case as matrics gather at their schools to open the newspaper to see the results.
In a time when we are so conscious of being politically correct, of respecting others' privacy and of erring on the safe side, should we not give some thought to the less than average student who might have tried very hard but just did not succees on the day? They have the right to keep their dignity and to try again without fear of being ridiculed.
On the other hand we should try to find a mechanism to praise those students who have worked hard and who have triumphed in the end. Perhaps a celebratory publication once all students have been notified of their results? Or is that just going back to the beginning again.....
In the end a compromise could be to use only ID or student numbers and keep it all as anonymous as possible. Numbers instead of names.
