The Department of Social Development has opened its Gender-Based Violence Command Centre (GBVCC) to matriculants who may be anxious about their examination results. The matric class of 2019 will receive their results on January 8, 2020, and reports of depression and suicide tend to be on the increase during this time.
The Department urges matriculants and their parents to make use of the Command Centre to receive counselling and support from trained Social Workers.
It also appeals to parents to look out for any signs of depression expressed by their children so that interventions can be sought early to help the youngsters deal with the outcome of their examinations.
The Command Centre can be reached toll-free on 0800 428 428. Callers can also request a Social Worker from the Command Centre to contact them by dialling*120*7867# (free) from any cell phone.
Deaf callers can also interact with the centre using Skype. Just add ‘HELPMEGBV’ to their contacts and a Social Worker will accept the invite and call them back.
The Department would also like to extend its well wishes to all the 596 720 social grants beneficiaries who sat down for their matric examinations last year. The Department wishes to remind the grant beneficiaries who will pass and be accepted at institutions of higher learning that they will no longer be means-tested by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) when they apply for financial assistance.
Since 2016, the Department of Social Development and NSFAS working together with the Department of Basic Education, have been working together to make sure that social grant beneficiaries are automatically accepted by NSFAS when they apply for financial assistance. The Department wishes to remind all matriculants to refrain from drinking alcohol or abusing substances due to the outcomes of their exam results.
It is also important to remind candidates who would not have succeeded that the Second Chance Matric Support Programme, by the Department of Basic Education, is available to support learners who will be wishing to use the second opportunity to sit for exams. We encourage learners to register at their schools or district offices.
Source: Department of Social Development
