Nursing students demand release of exam results

Students at Mpilo Royal College, a privately-owned health sciences higher education facility in Johannesburg, are outraged by delays in the release of their exam results.

The students sat for the national exams in September and November and are still waiting to hear how they performed.

A former student of Mpilo Royal College’s Health Promotion Officer Programme, Buhle Ngoma, is deeply upset and frustrated by the delay.

She believes it is unreasonable that she worked hard and sacrificed her time, energy, and resources to obtain her qualification, only to find herself stuck and unable to further her studies or find work months later.

“Many of us are missing out on job opportunities, internships or even the opportunity to explore further studies options simply because we do not have access to our final results or certification,” says Ngoma.

She claims that the delay is more than just an administrative issue; it also has a detrimental impact on their future.

“We understand that quality assurance and verification processes are important, however the lack of clear communication, transparency, and lack of a defined timeline from the responsible organisations have left many of us in the dark and it is taking a huge toll on our mental wellbeing,” says Ngoma.

Ngoma argues that now that students have fulfilled their responsibilities, organisations must do the same.

“We respectfully urge HWSETA (Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority) and QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupation) to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves. Our futures are being held back and we deserve answers. We are not asking for short cuts, but rather we are asking for accountability, communication, and fairness. We did our part now we need our qualifications to be recognised so we can step into the opportunities we’ve worked so hard to earn,” she adds.

Some students claim that the delay in the release of their examination results and certificates is producing a schism between them and their parents.

“Our parents are deeply hurt and emotionally drained. I believe they are also seeking answers. So, my message to HWSETA and QCTO is that they should treat us with respect we deserve and give us the answers we need,” says Ngoma.

The CEO of Mpilo Royal College, Mduduzi Moyo, says the delay reflects poorly on his institution.

“As a college we are also badly affected because the society and students no longer trusts us to do what we have been mandated to do. So, this is an issues that really needs to be addressed as soon as possible,” says Moyo.

He accuses the two organisations of systemic failure, implying that they should work together to develop an effective solution.

“QCTO and HWSETA do not seem to have a compatible system which allows the transmission of significant information from one organisation to another. Because of this they may not be able to manage the more than 2000 students that have written the 2024 national exams countrywide.”

Moyo accuses HWSETA of making empty promises, saying they’ve relentlessly been trying to keep in contact with them over the matter, without luck.

“They keep promising us and postponing to an extent that we ended up approaching QCTO to try an assist in this matter, however they are also failing to resolve it,” says Moyo.

Moyo claims they also sought recourse at the Department of Health, but their screams went unheard.

YNews has since reached out to QCTO, HWSETA, and the Gauteng Department for replies, which are yet to be received. Written by Odirile Rabolao