DURBAN - VUKUZAKHE High School matric pupils said they found a question about electrochemistry difficult to answer.
They were speaking to the Daily News after writing their physical science paper 2 on Monday.
The school had a 100% pass rate in physics before Covid-19.
Nonduduzo Mbatha, 18, from Mayville, said: “The paper was not easy yet not so difficult.
I believe I did my best in it. I found the question about electrochemistry very difficult. “I was confused, but I managed to write what I thought was the best and I hope it was. I tried my best to prepare myself for this paper because I know it is never easy. I would advise next year’s matric pupils to focus more on what they find difficult in a subject and practise that until it no longer confuses them.”
Hlanzeka Mchunu, 16, from Umlazi H section, said: “I had expected the paper to be either difficult or easy but this one had a bit of both. Question 10 about electrochemistry was really difficult for me. The calculations that were needed somehow were unclear.
“I had a hard time solving it but because I had enough time I was able to leave it and finish it after I had finished with the other questions. I am grateful I managed to finish within the time set and now I hope for the best.”
Londiwe Zwane, 17, said although the paper was better than the physics paper 1, there were complications.
“I think this was better than the trials paper but I do not mean it was easy. There were questions I found complicated but I managed to answer these. I then got stuck on question 5 because I didn’t revise what was there because I thought it would not be in the paper, and I panicked.
“I felt myself sweating. I told myself to calm down so I could focus and I tried to work on it. It was after I calmed down that I could remember how our physics teacher taught us about it. Some of the things we learnt in class came back and I think I was able to solve it. Little did I know that I would still have to spend over 30 minutes trying to solve the question about electrochemistry but because I am physics pupil I think I gave it my all.”
The school’s deputy principal, Edgar Thabani, believes their pupils’ preparation was prioritised.
“We had extra classes, although we had disturbances where thugs came and held the pupils at gunpoint, but we managed to contact the police for safety and security. We had a crossday preparation yesterday (Sunday) for their physics exam called the ’final push’; they spent the whole day in school preparing for this paper. I think it’s safe to say we could claim back our 100% physics pass rate,” said Thabani.
The last Grade 12 exam is expected to be held on December 7.
Daily News