Department of Basic Education's Second Chance Programme: Helping matriculants turn failure into opportunity

THERE’S a famous idiom that goes: “It's not how many times you get knocked down that count, it's how many times you get back up.”

Firstly, I believe this is true; there are many, many people who will tell you that determination and an inner drive, despite outward appearances, resulted in great success. But secondly, let nobody mislead you into thinking that getting up and trying again is easy.

The thing is, whether it’s easy or not, trying again often pays off in the long run.

That message carries particular weight for thousands of matriculants who did not achieve the results they had hoped for in their year-end examinations. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) has urged National Senior Certificate (NSC) candidates who were unsuccessful in their initial attempt to make use of its official Second Chance Programme.

IOL Junior Multimedia Journalist Hope Ntanzi reports that the department said the programme is “provided free of charge to candidates who were unsuccessful in their initial attempt.”

The DBE confirmed that eligible candidates may register to re-write subjects or add new ones without any payment. This, the department said, is “in accordance with the Department’s policies for the May/June examination cycle.”

It further stressed that it “does not endorse any private or commercial services that require payment for participation in the Second Chance Programme.”

Candidates have been encouraged to ensure that they access reliable and accurate information by engaging directly with the department. “For authentic information, please contact the Department of Basic Education directly or visit the official website,” the DBE said.

The Second Chance Matric Programme is aimed at supporting learners who did not meet the requirements of the NSC or the extended Senior Certificate, giving them an opportunity to obtain a Grade 12 matric certificate.

According to the department, the programme also seeks to “increase learner retention,” improve computer skills, expand access to job opportunities and career pathways, and enable learners to “access bursary opportunities for further studies.”

The initiative targets Senior Certificate Examination candidates registered to write in June, as well as NSC part-time candidates who attempted the examinations after 2008 and intend to re-write in the May/June or November sessions.

Subjects covered under the programme include Accounting, Agricultural Science, Business Studies, Economics, English First Additional Language, Geography, History, Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences.

The DBE also confirmed that the 2025 matric results will be released on January 12.