As this year's final matric exam draws closer a group of twelve matriculants from four schools in the Western Cape will sit for Africa's first-ever matric final paper on marine sciences.
The subject was introduced three years ago as an optional extra to the curriculum and pupils who chose to do the subject were required to attend afternoon classes during the week after regular school.
Among them is Boitumelo Medupe, a matriculant from South Peninsula High in Plumstead. She says that what she found appealing about the subject is the range of opportunities it presents for those looking to pursue a career in the field.
I saw it as an opportunity and I knew it would open new doors for me.
She explains that she saw choosing the subject as an opportunity for change as not enough women and people of colour are represented in the field of marine science
Medupe credits her interest in the marine world to her father, who was a former crew member on a navy vessel and is now a warrant officer for the SAPS Sea Border Unit.
Her challenge with attending the extra classes included having to rely on public transport due to her distance from the school. She added that the extra two hours of school can sometimes be tiring.
The teenager has so far applied at the University of Cape Town to study Oceanography and has also applied at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology for studies in Marine Sciences.
