The psychoanalytic exploration of the dangerous obsession with the Matric Results in South African High schools

The purpose of this study is to argue that the obsession of teachers with obtaining good matric results is dangerous. The danger of this obsession is twofold, (i) as teachers ignore other school grades while focussing only on grade 12, they perpetrate a vicious cycle whereby they will always have to overwork at grade 12 for goof matric results, and (ii) too much focus on grade 12 with all the extra activities and extra lessons risks creating a burnout and information cramming than learning to understand. This study purposively sampled 4 teachers, 6 learners, and 3 parents for semi-structured interviews, which will aid in this explorative study. The data collected through interviews was thematically analysed. Critical social theory is adopted as the lens to navigate through this exploration. Findings showed that although teachers believe that their system works, learners are not happy with the overworking that befalls them in grade 12. Recommendations include that preparation for a higher pass-rate in matric must not be a last-minute quick-fix in grade 12, but rather be a continuous process that is integrated in all grades. This study contributes to existing literature by giving a unique critique of overworking grade 12 learners while ignoring all other grades due to an obsession with good matric results.