Pupils who sat for their Std V and Form III exams have been encouraged to seek emotional support as they wait for their results.
While the pupils anxiously await the release of their results, the Exams Council of Eswatini (ECESWA) insists it is running according to schedule.
Information gathered is that the marking of scripts for the two grades has been completed and speculation was that the results could be released in two weeks’ time.
However, the local examining body warned against speculation and insisted that sourcing information from any forum other than ECESWA would create unnecessary anxiety.
“Once the results are ready, the public will be informed of release dates,” emphasised ECESWA Communications Manager Hlengiwe Ndlovu.
She said at the moment the Exams Council could not commit itself to dates because there is a lot of work that needs to be done before the results are released, and that each step is critical before the next.
She said over the years, they had made it a culture to announce the release a day prior to the official event.
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The advice from the examining body was that focus should be made on ensuring that pupils have the necessary support to cope with the emotional strain that often accompany the results period.
In the interim, experts also encouraged pupils to remain calm and positive.
Clinical Psychologist Ndo Mdlalose advised pupils to remain calm and keep busy with something else.
“I think it is late to keep worrying now because the exams were written a long time ago, and they do not even remember how they approached each question. So, the best thing is to seek emotional support, either from parents or other family members and friends,” she said.
Mdlalose said focusing one’s energy to thinking about the unknown might lead to anxiety and depression.
“It disturbs the body’s chemical composition as the body keeps secreting the worry hormone, suppressing the happy hormone in the process,” she said.
She encouraged parents to offer the necessary emotional support system, since many of the negative thoughts are often triggered by worrying about either the reaction of parents or teachers.
